ROTARY CLUB OF MANILA JOURNALISM AWARDS
2006 National Newspaper of the Year 2011 National Newspaper of the Year 2013 Business Newspaper of the Year 2017 Business Newspaper of the Year 2019 Business Newspaper of the Year
BusinessMirror A broader look at today’s business
EJAP JOURNALISM AWARDS
BUSINESS NEWS SOURCE OF THE YEAR (2017, 2018)
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
2018 BANTOG MEDIA AWARDS
PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY
DATA CHAMPION
INFLATION, RECOVERY MAKE BSP KEEP RATES www.businessmirror.com.ph
n
Friday, December 18, 2020 Vol. 16 No. 71
P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 40 pages | 7 DAYS A WEEK
‘TOO MANY TRAVEL APPS!’ TOURISM CHIEF COMPLAINS AS LGUs SET VARIED RULES
VISITORS Information and Travel Assistance (Visita) travel app
By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo | Special to the BusinessMirror
F
CHRISTMAS lanterns illuminate the images of passersby wearing face masks to protect themselves against the coronavirus in Las Piñas City. With barely a week left before Christmas, lantern makers in the area complain of slow business due to the high price of raw materials. NONIE REYES
T
By Bianca Cuaresma
HE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) closed the year with a resumption of its “prudent pause” in monetary policy as inflation rises along with optimism for economic recovery pinned on vaccine hopes.
In its last monetary policy meeting for the year, BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno announced the Monetary Board’s decision to
maintain the interest rate on its overnight reverse repurchase facility at 2 percent. The interest rates on the over-
night deposit and lending facilities were likewise kept at 1.5 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively. This is the last BSP monetary policy meeting of the year. Annually, the BSP holds eight meetings every six weeks. For 2020, five of these meetings were rate cuts to bolster monetary policy support for the pandemic-ravaged economy. For this meeting, however, Diokno’s key reference for maintaining policy rates include inflation and the expected pick-up in economic recovery. Diokno said despite the higher-than-expected inflation print
in November, their assessment shows the inflation environment remains benign. “The latest baseline forecasts have risen slightly due to the sharp increase in global crude oil prices and the higher-than-expected food inflation in November. However, since the rise in food prices is transitory, it is expected that the future inflation path will remain firmly within the government’s 2-percent to 4-percent target over the policy horizon,” Diokno said. “The balance of risks to the inflation outlook also leans toward the downside from 2020 to 2022,
OR all her efforts to reopen tourism destinations, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat has now taken issue with the numerous and various visitor entry requirements of the different local government (LGUs). In a news conference this week, she cited for instance, that many LGUs have their own travel apps, which tourists have to download on their phones to fill in health declaration forms, book accommodations and register for tours, and submit Covid-19 test results or register for them at the destination they are visiting. “I’ve been traveling around the country, as you know, and each location has its own [travel] app. I’ve downloaded so many on my phone, my screen is already running out of space,” she declared. Aside from the apps, each destination has its own set of health and safety protocols. For instance, in Baguio City, tourists only need to take an antigen test, whereas in other destinations like Bohol, El Nido, or Boracay, visitors have to present negative results of an RT-PCR test. In provinces like Ilocos Sur, not only does the visitor have to present a negative RT-PCR test result, he also has to take an antigen test upon arrival at the border, even though the RT-PCR is the more accurate test to determine the presence of the novel coronavirus in one’s body. Some LGUs also demand medical clearances and travel authorities, while in destinations like Tagaytay, the LGU doesn’t demand any Covid-19 tests or travel passes from visitors. “Since tourists would wish to visit several destinations, it is confusing and cumbersome if LGUs have different apps, protocols and See “Apps,” A2
Continued on A2
BIR collects ₧1.6T in taxes from Jan-Oct By Cai U. Ordinario
A
MID a raging pandemic, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) managed to collect over a trillion pesos worth of taxes in the January to October period this year. In a statement, the BIR said it collected P1.6 trillion from taxes, which is 12.25 percent higher than its goal of P1.4 trillion in the 10-month period. Internal Revenue Commissioner Caesar R. Dulay attributed
the BIR performance to programs such as the Run After Tax Evaders (RATE) Program; closures under “Oplan Kandado” operations of business establishments; and tax assessment/audit activities that entailed issuance of various orders/notices to taxpayers. “We need all the support and cooperation from the taxpaying public. Please help us raise the much-needed revenues for the government especially these trying times. Don’t evade taxes, pay your taxes correctly,” Dulay said.
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 48.0590
BIR’s comparative report of collections released on November 24 showed the bureau has constantly exceeded its monthly tax target with an average monthly excess in collections for the first semester of P32.72 million or 0.02 percent. When the third quarter kicked in, the BIR said it registered a larger surplus of P42 billion. The largest surplus was pegged at P70 billion in August while other surpluses reached P23 billion in September; and P38 billion in October.
From January to November 2020, the bureau filed a total of 125 tax cases before the Department of Justice (DOJ) with estimated total tax liabilities of P4.95 billion. Under “Oplan Kandado,” the BIR collected P569.039 million in tax payments through the temporary closure of 189 establishments and the issuance of 981 tax compliance orders/notices for the period January to October 2020. “May this discourage potential offenders from committing tax See “BIR,” A2
n JAPAN 0.4644 n UK 64.9325 n HK 6.1996 n CHINA 7.3571 n SINGAPORE 36.1645 n AUSTRALIA 36.4095 n EU 58.6368 n SAUDI ARABIA 12.8113
Source: BSP (December 17, 2020)
News BusinessMirror
A2 Friday, December 18, 2020
www.businessmirror.com.ph
Toll regulators get scolding from Senate over cashless shift mess By Butch Fernandez & Samuel P. Medenilla
H
OURS after being advised by President Duterte to resign for their poor record as regulator— as seen in the botched implementation of the shift to cashless transactions— the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) again came under fire from senators and local government units for taking too long to act on problems that have inconvenienced the public for years. In a marathon hearing by the Senate Public Services Committee on Thursday, it turned out the TRB’s attention had been called the past three years since glitches started to haunt the tollways system’s use of electronic booths. At the outset, Senator Grace Poe, who chairs the committee inquiry, noted that Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian had earlier lamented that for many years now, they have been relaying the problems with the toll plazas, part of which is the RFID system, referring to the radio frequency identification toll payment system. “How many years have these glitches been happening; why didn’t you act on them promptly?” Poe asked Department of Transportation (DOTr) officials pointblank, setting the tone of the Senate inquiry. The senator recalled that consultations were conducted with affected sectors earlier, but found
out that the toll operators did not bring up these concerns for Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and transport officials to act on. “During your consultation, didn’t you inform the [TRB] executive director that the implementation cannot be done within three months? At least that could have been raised with Secretary Tugade or basically you were given no choice to operate immediately the cashless system?” she wanted to know. For his part, Senator Richard Gordon observed that the DOTr should always monitor public conveyance but failed to do so. “They failed to act on time; if they failed they should be punished,” the senator said, stressing the “need to impose accountability for the mess.” At the same time, Poe openly wondered whether Secretary Tugade “knew what was going wrong.” Tugade, in turn, replied: “I did not get the details of the reports; they think they can solve the prob-
Inflation, recovery make BSP keep rates Continued from A1
owing largely to potential disruptions to domestic and global economic activity amid the ongoing pandemic. Meanwhile, inflation expectations remain broadly consistent with the inflation target,” he added. For 2020, the BSP revised its inflation target to 2.6 percent from 2.4 percent in the November meeting. For 2021, the BSP expects inflation to hit 3.2 percent from the earlier expectation of 2.7 percent. Meanwhile, it kept its expectation unchanged at 2.9 percent for 2022. In the virtual monetary policy press conference, BSP Deputy Governor Francisco Dakila said the main factors that went into the revision were the increase in global crude oil prices and the supply-side pressures on the food front. The BSP also said that while there is a resurgence of Covid-19 cases in some parts of the world, optimism over the delivery of vaccines has lifted market confi-
dence and improved prospects for global growth. The BSP’s hopeful stance also hinged on the early indications of improved mobility and sentiment on the local front. “While recent natural calamities could pose strong headwinds to growth, the further easing of quarantine measures should help facilitate the recovery of the economy in the coming months,” Diokno said.
Pause rather than stop
THE BSP has already aggressively cut its interest rates for the year to support the economy. In total, the Central Bank has already cut its rates by 200 basis points—25 basis points in February, 50 basis points in March, another 50 basis points in an offschedule Monetary Board meeting in April, another 50-basis-point cut in June and the latest 25-basispoint cut just last month. In this meeting, Diokno reiterated that he remains committed to deploying the BSP’s “full range of instruments” as needed in fulfillment of its mandate to maintain price and financial stability conducive to growth. “The Monetary Board believes that an accommodative monetary policy stance, together with sustained fiscal initiatives to ensure public welfare, should quicken the economy’s transition toward a sustainable recovery,” Diokno said. Deputy Governor Dakila also stressed the importance of keeping the monetary policy accommodative. He said the BSP is expected to keep its monetary policy accommodative until they see solid signs of economic recovery. He said the withdrawal of their support will be considered carefully.
BIR… Continued from A1
evasion in the future. It is also our hope to further raise the trust and confidence of the public in the tax system and so the level of voluntary tax compliance,” Dulay said. Through these enforcement activities, various tax violations, such as underdeclaration of taxable sales by more than 30 percent, nonregistration of business, nonissuance of receipts, and noncompliance with other various tax laws and regulations, were uncovered. Dulay said through the concerted efforts of all revenue offices nationwide, the BIR will continue with enhanced tax-enforcement activities to ensure that tax violators will be caught and punished.
Apps… Continued from A1
STANDSTILL traffic is seen at the Karuhatan Toll Plaza in Valenzuela City, December 5, 2020.
lems,” adding, “so I saw the problem in implementation and said we will address the problem from the point of management.” The DOTr chief for the most part tossed the accountability to the TRB executive director and to his representative in the tollways board meetings, Undersecretary Ruben Reinoso. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, for his part, pressed for the imposition of sanctions on erring parties behind the malfunctioning toll card readers, but was initially told that no fine was imposed as this was “not in the [concessionaires] contract.”
Duterte’s challenge
LATE Wednesday evening, President Duterte said he is considering replacing the TRB members over the botched implementation of the mandatory use of RFID by expressway operators.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE VALENZUELA CITY LGU
In his public address on Wednesday, Duterte blamed “incompetent” toll regulators for the heavy traffic in the expressways after the DOTr ordered a total shift to cashless transactions for expressways to minimize the spread of Covid-19. The local government of Valenzuela was so angered by the mess that it suspended the business permit of the North Luzon Expressway Corporation when it failed to immediately address the bottlenecks in its toll plazas. Duterte said such inconvenience for motorists could have been prevented had TRB conducted a trial run of the scheme before it was enforced. “They should not have allowed the system to be put into use without a trial of about one week to see what will be the problem [in its implementation]. That is the correct
frame of mind. You would expect the worst,” Duterte said. Duterte warned he will replace TRB members if another innovation for expressway operators will suffer glitches during its full rollout. Tugade apologized for the heavy traffic caused by their new policy and has committed to address it with their coordination with expressway operators. The DOTr earlier said it was targeting to apprehend non-RFID users of expressways by January 11, 2021. Since the DOTr announced its cashless expressway payment policy, Tugade noted the number of RFID users had risen from 1.4 million to 3.7 million. However, many motorists who pass by expressways still do not have an RFID sticker, prompting the DOTr to relax its cashless scheme.
Velasco signs 2021 budget; en route to Palace for review By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz
H
OUSE Speaker Lord Allan Velasco on Thursday signed the final copy of the P4.506trillion national budget for 2021 prior to sending it to Malacañang for President Duterte’s signature. According to Velasco, the 2021 spending plan is the government’s “single-most powerful tool” to fight Covid-19 and help Filipinos and the economy recover from the devastating impacts of the pandemic. He said the Philippines will be in a better position to beat Covid-19 and recover from its devastating impacts next year after the House of Representatives ratified the proposed P4.506-trillion national budget for 2021. “This budget reflects the serious commitment of the Duterte government to defeat Covid-19 and bring the economy back on track,” Velasco said. Velasco said the 2021 budget bill includes a P70-billion allocation for the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines, including storage, transportation and distribution. According to House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Eric Go Yap, Congress approved several changes introduced by the House. These include additional funding of P44.8 billion for the “Build, Build, Build” program under the Department of Public Works and Highways; and P2 billion for the procurement of personal protective equipment or PPE, P434.4 million for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program; P462 million for the Medical Health Assistance Program; and P100 million for the mental health program, all under the Department of Health. Yap said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)
VELASCO: “This budget reflects the serious commitment of the Duterte government to defeat Covid-19 and bring the economy back on track.” AP
also received a budget augmentation of P3.177 billion, mostly for the Office of the Secretary’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged or Displaced Workers Program, or TUPAD. Congress also increased the budget for Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program and the Government Internship Program (GIP) by P5.09 billion, bringing its total to P19 billion. The amount will be used to implement TUPAD for workers affected by Covid-19 and for the stipend equivalent to the minimum wage prevailing in the regions of GIP beneficiaries, who are 18 years old and above. Congress also allotted P1.6 billion to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for its alternative family care program, designed to provide protective services for individuals, families and communities in difficult circumstances.
With the theme of “Reset, Rebound and Recover: Investing for Resiliency and Sustainability,” the 2021 expenditure plan is higher than this year’s budget by 9.9 percent and equivalent to 21.8 percent of GDP. The top 10 agencies with the biggest allocation in the budget are: Education sector with P708 billon; Department of Public Works and Highways with P694.8 billion; the Department of the Interior and Local Government with P247 billion; the Department of National Defense with P205 billion; the Department of Social Welfare and Development with P176.6 billion; the Department of Health with P134 billion; the Department of Transportation with P87.4 billion; the Department of Agriculture with P68.6 billion, the Judiciary with P44.1 billion; and the Department of Labor and Employment with P36.6 billion.
requirements to comply with. Thus, uniformity should make travel plans a lot easier and, ultimately, more fun,” Romulo Puyat said. In a news statement, the DOT chief expressed appreciation to local government executives for strictly implementing health and safety protocols, even as they have started welcoming tourists. “We are truly impressed with the efforts of the LGUs for extending a hand to our tourism industry stakeholders in getting back on their feet again, as well as making available safe tourism sites to our fellow Filipinos who long for outdoor activities,” she said. However, she noted that consensus had developed among the members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) for “uniform travel requirements” that are within the existing omnibus interim guidelines. In its meeting on December 14, IATF members agreed to amend the guidelines as follows: mandating clinical and exposure assessment for travelers; simplifying and condensing the pathways into two algorithms—for inbound international travelers and interzonal domestic travelers; providing LGUs a free hand to determine appropriate protocols “aligned with the omnibus interim guidelines”; and, enjoining implementing agencies to issue necessary supplementary guidelines. “Given these parameters, and in order to facilitate the ease of travel of our kababayans, we strongly support the proposal for LGUs to adopt a uniform set of guidelines, listing the requirements and stepby-step procedure, for compliance of visitors to tourist destinations,” the DOT chief said. Among the standard travel protocols that the LGUs have are the Covid-19 test-before-travel or test-upon-arrival options, the validity of the required Covid-19 test, confirmed hotel reservation with a hotel or resort accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT), confirmed round-trip plane tickets, and an itinerary with a DOTaccredited tour operator. Romulo Puyat cited the Visitors Information and Travel Assistance (Visita) travel app currently being used by the Ridge to Reef travel corridor of Baguio City, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur as a proven and effective means to trace contacts of visitors and control the number of arrivals, the data of which can be used for planning and research purposes. “We want all destinations to take advantage of this digital system for free, through our attached agency, the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB),” she added. The TPB has helped fund the creation of the Visita app, but also has its own travel app. However, the DOT chief deferred to the LGUs on when they would reopen their destinations to tourism. “After all, it is the host destination that reaps the benefits of a well-planned, ‘all-systems-go’ restart, versus the ill consequences of a hastened, premature reopening,” she said.
CONGRATULATIONS TO CITY OF MANILA 8th Regional Competitiveness Summit of the Department of Trade and Industry
TOP
TOP
1
3
Overall Competitiveness Award for Highly Urbanized Cities
Most Competitive in Economic Dynamism for Highly Urbanized Cities
TOP
TOP
1
3
Most Competitive in Government Efficiency Award for Highly Urbanized Cities
TOP
1 Most Competitive in Infrastructure Award for Highly Urbanized Cities
Most Competitive in Resiliency for Highly Urbanized Cities
News BusinessMirror
A4
Friday, December 18, 2020 • Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug
www.businessmirror.com.ph
DOH, health experts issue strong warning on holiday Covid surge
H
By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco | Correspondent
EALTH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, citing the postThanksgiving Day surge in Covid-19 cases in Canada and US, warned of a possible rise of virus infections in the country during and after the holidays. She urged all agencies to be on high alert and put in place and early warning and quick response systems to immediately detect and crush case clusters. To prevent increase and spread of infections, Vergeire emphasized that minimum health standards (MHS) should be strictly followed. At a media forum, Vergeire revealed that there is a continuous growth of cases seen in different areas, including the National Capital Region (NCR) signaling the start of a possible surge, which if not mitigated, will lead to a sharp spike of cases during and after the holiday season. Most regional health-care utilization, she added, is at low risk but dedicated beds, especially of private hospitals, remains low. “If not augmented soon, health-care capacities may be overwhelmed when surge occurs,” she warned, adding that there is also a need to emphasize targeted messages emphasizing adherence to all components of the minimum public health standards in all settings, especially in public spaces and closed areas.
Remain cautious and vigilant
IN the past few months, the country has seen a decline in the number of Covid-19 cases. In a joint statement, the DOH, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Philippine General Hospital, EpiMetrics Inc., FASSSTER, OCTA Research Group, DOHTechnical Advisory Group, and the Health
Professionals Alliance Against Covid-19, urged everyone to be part of the solution in preventing the further escalation of cases. From the peak in August, when the health system was almost overwhelmed, consuming almost 80 percent of our critical care capacity, the reproduction number was reduced to around 1.0 from a starting reproduction number of 3.27 and have maintained a lower critical care utilization rate even in highly urbanized cities. There were also improvements in the management of Covid-19 cases, as reflected by lower case fatality rates. “We, as a nation, have come a long way in our Covid-19 response. But the virus is still here and we should remain cautious and vigilant. As we celebrate this holiday season, let us put prime importance on our safety and the safety of everyone around us. Let us not squander our gains in this pandemic response,” the group stressed.
Start of surge
AFTER reviewing the trends in the recent week, the DOH has seen a slowing down of the previous improvement in the epidemic curve. There has been a continuous growth of cases in Metro Manila that may signal the start of a surge in cases. It revealed that 9 cities are now at moderate risk compared to last month when all cities were at low risk. The average daily attack rate in all NCR cities is also higher than the national average. An increase in the number
of cases were also observed in Regions 1, 2, and Cordillera Administrative Region. And if this trend continues and is not mitigated, it may lead to a sharp spike of cases that might overwhelm the health system’s capacity, similar to the peak experienced last August in the NCR. “The occurrence of another surge will no longer be a matter of ‘if’ but of when and by how much,” the group stressed. “We have witnessed what a spike in cases might mean to us—the extensive lockdowns and how it has affected our families, our health-care workers, the small businesses and large enterprises alike, and how it almost, if not completely, paralyzed our economy. We do not want that to happen again,” the group said recognizing that the fight against Covid is not only the fight of the government but also need the cooperation of the public. The group added, “In our own ways, we can stop this surge from happening. To the public, keep observing the minimum public health standards or the BIDA Solusyon sa Covid-19 Strategies—Bawal ang walang mask, I-sanitize ang kamay, Dumistansya ng isang metro, at alamin ang tamang impormasyon. We should also avoid the high-risk 3Cs in our activities—Closed settings, Crowded places, and Close conversations. Lastly, beware of the 3V superspreader settings where transmission of the disease is highly likely—Venues where there is crowding, Ventilation that is poor, and Vocalization, i.e., many people talking loudly or singing.” “In this season of hope, and even in the succeeding months, let us continue to be cautious and be mindful of our every action,” they concluded. Vergeire also warned that insufficient compliance with face shield -wearing is contributing to the increased Covid-19 transmission. Quoting a recent study, she said only 31 percent of the people wears face shield, while 91 percent use face mask. Vergeire said that the target should be above 90 percent. It may be noted that a face shield is now required to be used together with a face mask in public places.
Police, military bare dismantling of two NPA guerrilla fronts in Northern Luzon By Rene Acosta
@reneacostaBM
T
WO guerrilla fronts of the New People’s Army (NPA) that used to operate in key areas of Northern Luzon have been declared as officially dismantled both by the military and the Philippine National Police (PNP). Police and military officials led by Armed Forces of the Philippines Northern Luzon Command (AFP-Nolcom) commander Lt. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos and Maj. Gen. Ferdinand Daway, director of the PNP Directorate for Integrated Police OperationsNorthern Luzon, led the signing of document formally declaring the dismantling of the NPA’s Kilusang Larangang Gerilya Southern Ilocos Sur, or KLG SIS, and the KLG Quirino-Nueva Vizcaya. The KLG SIS operated in the boundaries of the provinces of Ilocos Sur, Mountain Province and Abra while the KLG Quirino-Nueva Vizcaya used to operate in the two provinces’ boundary. A guerrilla front of the NPA is equivalent to a size of a company in the military. “The parameters of dismantling NPA fronts are stipulated in the AFP and PNP’s Joint Letter Directive Number 3 series of 2020, which include clearing of all affected barangays, neutralization of the terrorist group’s politico-military structure and reduction of enemy strength to a squad level, among others,” Daway said during the signing of document at the Nolcom headquarters at Camp Aquino, Tarlac. Prior to the declarations, combined AFP and PNP counterinsurgency operations resulted to a series of decisive engagements which, as described by the military, have
ARMED Forces Northern Luzon Command commander Lt. Gen. Arnulfo M. Burgos (left) and Maj. Gen. Ferdinand Daway (right), director of the PNP Directorate for Integrated Police Operations-Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom), sign the document formally declaring two guerrilla fronts of the New People’s Army that attest to the dismantling of two guerrilla fronts that used to operate in the country’s northern region. The event coincided with the signing of the joint military-police campaign plan against insurgency, criminal activities and lawless groups in Northern Luzon, according to Major Mikko Magisa, Nolcom spokesman.
pushed the enemies of the state on the verge of “irreversible collapse.” Among these were the neutralization of one Regional White Area Secretary and two NPA finance officers in just a span of five days. “These are on top of the 313 former rebels who surrendered 96 firearms this year after deciding to turn their backs from armed conflict, return to mainstream society and avail benefits under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program or E-CLIP,” Burgos said. The Nolcom has attributed the successive operations to its effective and efficient teamwork with their police counterparts, local government units and the general public. “Your security forces’ ability to dismantle two guerrilla fronts after this year’s military campaign is a result of the unwavering support of our elected leaders and the Filipino people who have gone tired of the NPAs’ abuses and terroristic intentions,” Burgos said.
The Nolcom commander said the “unprecedented” accomplishment in the northern part of the country against rebels” will further inspire soldiers to press the fight, “exploit our gains and finally win the much coveted peace, prosperity and development which every Filipino truly deserves.” Burgos earlier said that the Nolcom is on track to decimate the few remaining NPAs in Northern Luzon before the end of President Duterte’s term. The dismantling of the two guerrilla fronts came a week after Nolcom spokesman Maj. Mikko Magisa said that their command is in the process of working for the dismantling of two main NPA guerrilla units in Northern Luzon. The different AFP Joint Task Force Commanders from across Northern and Central Luzon, as well as the PNP Directorate for Integrated Police Operations-Northern Luzon and the PNP directors of Regions 1, 2 , 3 and the Cordillera attended the signing ceremony.
Economy BusinessMirror
www.businessmirror.com.ph
Natl ID database could be useful in Covid mass vaccination drive By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario
T
HE National ID database could be tapped by the government in the distribution of vaccines, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda). At a news briefing on Thursday, Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua said if the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is given an additional budget for next year, the agency could target to register 70 million Filipinos, or the country’s entire adult population, by the end of next year. Chua said by using such a large database, the National ID Step 1 data will help ensure the proper distribution of the vaccine when this becomes available in the Philippines. “You will have to keep track of those people given a dose and those you still need to give a second dose. That is the benefit of using it. This is still under discussion but the potential is actually very good,” Chua said. By the end of next year, Chua said, the PSA will be able to cover 50 million individuals in the National ID Step 1 registration. This already
represents 70 percent of the country’s adult population. “If we are provided with an additional budget, I challenge the PSA to register 70 million individuals, or the entire adult population,” Chua added. Based on the latest report of the PSA, over 9 million Filipinos have been registered under Step 1 registration of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) or the National ID. The PSA reported that as of December 14, 9.005 million were registered for Step 1 of the PhilSys. Step 1 involved the house-tohouse collection of demographic information of low-income household heads and appointment setting for Step 2 Registration. “Our current pace for Step 1 Registration allowed us to increase our initial target of 9 million Filipinos to 11 million this year. As we continue our Step 1 Registration operations in the first 32 provinces, we are confident that we will reach this next milestone before the year ends,” said PSA Undersecretary Dennis S. Mapa, National Statistician and Civil Registrar General. Mapa said among the 9 million Step 1 registrants, some 89.3 percent said they do not have bank accounts. This highlighted the need to enable more Filipinos to open bank accounts through the National ID as a valid proof of their identity.
Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Friday, December 18, 2020 A5
DOLE chief eyeing ₧6K monthly pay to all ‘kasambahay’ nationwide By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla
T
HE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is now eyeing to raise the monthly minimum wage of household service workers (HSW), or kasambahay, nationwide to P6,000 a month. Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said he considers the proposed amount reasonable since the employment of HSWs is considered a luxury. “If you cannot afford to give P6,000, then you should not employ a household help...If you cannot afford that, then you should do your chores at home. Don’t hire a housemate for a meager amount of P2,000 to P3,000. That is too low,” Bello said.
The labor chief said he does not expect the proposal will lead to an increase in the number of employers, who would be unable to comply with the minimum wage rates for HSWs. He instructed the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) to conduct the feasibility study of the said proposal. Under the Republic Act (RA) 10361, or the Kasambahay Law, the monthly minimum wage rate of HSWs are determined per region. Currently, the regional minimum wage rate for HSW range from P2,681 (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) to P5,958 (National Capital Region). The NWPC and the Philippine
Don’t hire a housemate for a meager amount of P2,000 to P3,000. That is too low. Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III
Statistics Authority (PSA) conducted a survey last year to get information related to HSWs. Based from the result of the survey, the average pay of HSWs in 11 regions were higher than their
BM prevailing minimum wage in the said areas. But for five regions, the pay of some HSWs were lower than the prevailing minimum wage in their areas.
Bill granting addl perks to solo parents hurdles second reading
T
HE House of Representatives has approved on second reading the bill seeking to grant additional benefits to solo parents. Voting through viva voce late Wednesday, lawmakers passed on second reading House Bill 8097 to amend Solo Parents Welfare Act of 2000 to uplift the lives and status of solo parents and their children. The bill will be approved on third and final reading when session re-
sumes on January 18. Under the measure, qualified solo parents may avail of the additional benefit of 10-percent discount from purchases of basic necessities of a child or children under the sole responsibility of the said qualified solo parent. The measure defines a qualified solo parent as a solo parent earning less than P250,000 annually and who may avail of the additional benefits of
10-percent discounts from purchases of basic necessities of a child or children under the sole responsibility of the said qualified solo parent. Pertinent to the specific category of solo parent under the law, the bill shortens the required period of detention or duration of a sentence and the period of separation or abandonment of the spouse in availing the benefits provided in this proposal.
It also enhances the educational benefits provided under the current law by guaranteeing full scholarship for a child of the solo parent and prioritizing the other children, if any, in the educational programs of the government. The measure promotes child minding centers, breastfeeding in the workplace and social safety assistance to all kinds of solo parents and their children. Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz
BusinessMirror
Friday, December 18, 2020
A6
ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS NO.
FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY
ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS POSITION
8 STONE BUSINESS OUTSOURCING OPC 5th-10th/f Tower 3, Pitx #1 Kennedy Road Tambo Parañaque City
NO.
FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY
ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS POSITION
CINATECH LIMITED CORP. 10-1 One Global Place 25th St., Cor. 5th Ave. Bgc Fort Bonifacio Taguig City
1.
HUANG, HAIYAN Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
2.
NGUYEN THUY LINH Vietnamese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
3.
WU, DANDAN Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
4.
ZHAO, ZHENQI Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
43.
DU, ZHIHUI Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
5.
HUANG, XUEMEI Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
44.
WU, JO-PING Taiwanese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
HUANG, HONGYUN Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
6.
42.
LI, ZEYUAN Chinese
CXLOYALTY PHILIPPINES, INC. 10f W Fifth Building 32nd St. Cor. 5th Avenue Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio Taguig City MAYINDA, DANIELLA NEDI Congolese
KYU SHAUK HOI Myanmari
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
8.
LE THI LIEN Vietnamese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
9.
LYU KWAN YWE Myanmari
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
EASTERN GOLD CORPORATION 503 Nueva St Binondo Manila
10.
YANG, JIE Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
47.
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
48.
11.
YANG, QING Chinese
12.
ZAW WIN AUNG Myanmari
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
7.
ANOC99 CORPORATION 5/f Ayala Malls Manila Bay Building D. Macapagal Blvd. Cor. Aseana Street Tambo Parañaque City
DIGITAL COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST (BI LINGUAL IN MANDARIN)
COLDSTREAM MARKETING SOLUTION INC. 603-4 Eastfield Ctr. Moa Comp. Macapagal Ave. Brgy. 076 Pasay City
45.
FRENCH CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
DAXIFA CORPORATION Mpire Center 93 West Avenue Project 7 Bungad 1 Quezon City 46.
TANG, XIAOLING Chinese
TANG, KUNQUAN Chinese TIAN, ZHUHUA Chinese
www.businessmirror.com.ph
ONLINE SUPPORT ANALYST
MARKETING AND SALES AGENT MARKETING AND SALES AGENT
NO.
ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS
FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY
POSITION
NO.
FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY
POSITION
84.
XIA, ZHIPENG Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
133.
YAN, HANPAI Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
85.
ZHANG, WEN Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
134.
YANG, XIAOPING Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
86.
ZHANG, XUN Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
135.
YU, KONGXIANG Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
87.
ZHENG, JIANHONG Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
136.
ZHANG, TAO Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
88.
ZHU, ZHIQIANG Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
137.
ZHANG, WEI Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
138.
ZHAO, SHUANG Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
139.
ZHOU, JUNMIN Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
140.
ZOU, XIN Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
141.
CHEN, DAN Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
142.
CHEN, ZHAOCAI Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
143.
CHEN, YAOLING Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
144.
DENG, ZENGLONG Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
145.
DU, BINHONG Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
146.
FU, JINWEI Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
147.
FU, LINYU Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
148.
GAO, WEILONG Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
149.
GAO, XINGXING Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
150.
GAO, LIANG Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
151.
GU, BIN Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
152.
GUO, ZHIXUAN Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
153.
GUO, JIANTING Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
154.
HE, WEIJIE Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
155.
HE, WEI Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
156.
JIANG, ZHANGBO Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
157.
LI, CHANGJIU Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
158.
LI, FUHAI Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
159.
LIANG, QILONG Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
160.
LIANG, WENQI Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
161.
LIANG, JIANQUAN Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
162.
LIU, YU Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
163.
LU, QINGPING Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
164.
PENG, KEYU Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
165.
QU, YANG Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
166.
SHANG, YANG Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
167.
SHARINE HENRY JUDE Malaysian
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
168.
TAN, YONGJIE Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
169.
THIDAR, SAN Myanmari
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
170.
TIAN, HE Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
171.
WANG, YUANXI Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
172.
WANG, LONG Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
FLYING DRAGON NETWORK PHILIPPINES INC. 4th-11th Floor Aseana 3 Building Aseana Avenue Corner Diosdado Macapagal Tambo Parañaque City 89.
HUANG, JIARU Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
90.
JIANG, YANDONG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
91.
LI, SHENTING Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
92.
LI, XIAOBIN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
93.
LI, ZHIPENG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
94.
LI, CHUNXU Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
95.
LI, JIACHENG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
96.
LIAO, MENGQIU Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
97.
LIN, ZUIMIN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
98.
LIN, HUANGYI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
99.
SU, JIGANG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
100.
TANG, YUN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
49.
XUE, MINGZHUAN Chinese
MARKETING AND SALES AGENT
50.
ZENG, ZHIRONG Chinese
MARKETING AND SALES AGENT
51.
ZHAN, GANG Chinese
MARKETING AND SALES AGENT
ZHENG, TIANJI Chinese
MARKETING AND SALES AGENT
101.
TENG, PENGFEI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
102.
WANG, KEYU Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
LE THANH DUY Vietnamese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
14.
TENG, ZHAOLIANG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
15.
WANG, MINGHE Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
ECHOTECH SERVICES INC. 18/f Philamlife Tower 8767 Paseo De Roxas Bel-air Makati City
16.
WANG, TINGJUAN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
53.
HE, JIAOLIAN Chinese
MANDARIN FIELD MARKETING OFFICER
103.
WANG, HUAIYU Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
17.
WANG, XIAO Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
54.
LI, CHUANGCHUANG Chinese
MANDARIN FIELD MARKETING OFFICER
104.
WU, RONGHUA Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
APPTECHURE CORP. Units A&b 20/f Rufino Pacific Tower 6784 Ayala Ave. Cor. V.a. Rufino St. San Lorenzo Makati City
55.
QIU, CHEN Chinese
MANDARIN FIELD MARKETING OFFICER
105.
XIE, ZHUHAI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
56.
ZHU, JINLONG Chinese
MANDARIN FIELD MARKETING OFFICER
106.
ZHA, QIEN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
107.
ZHANG, NI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
13.
18.
LUO, RUYI Chinese
MANDARIN OPERATIONS MANAGER
BAOLONG TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY GROUP LIMITED INC. 20-29th/f Century Diamond Tower Kalayaan Ave. Cor. Salamanca St. Poblacion Makati City
52.
FAREAST OUTSOURCE PROCESSING INC. 7th, 8th, 9th Flr. Nu Tower Moa Coral Way Brgy. 076 Pasay City 57.
CHEN, MINGJIE Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
58.
DO VAN ANH Vietnamese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR) CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR) CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
19.
CUI, CHEN Chinese
MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
20.
DING, WEI Chinese
MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
59.
21.
HE, JINGPENG Chinese
MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
DONG THI HONG Vietnamese
60.
22.
WU, CHUNYU Chinese
MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
FIFI DESUARNI Indonesian
61.
MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
23.
ZHANG, DENG Chinese
GUO, JIA Chinese
62.
24.
ZHANG, LEI Chinese
MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
HE, QING Chinese
63.
BIG EMPEROR TECHNOLOGY CORP. Eastfield Center Cbp1, Macapagal Blvd. Brgy. 076 Pasay City
FORTUNEGATE HOLDINGS PHILIPPINES, INC. 5/f Ag New World Manila Bay Hotel 1588 1588 Mh Del Pilar St. Cor. P. Gil St. 076 Bgy. 699 Malate Manila 108.
HOU, JIAJIA Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
GLOBALLGA BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING Ground Level, Level 2-5 Floor Silver City 4, Ortigas East Ugong Pasig City 109.
LIU, WENQIANG Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
110.
YUAN, HONGZHE Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT
HE, XIAOMAN Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
111.
GAN, YU Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
64.
HOANG NHAT KHANH Vietnamese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
112.
CAO, JINLONG Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
25.
NGUYEN THI HONG HA Vietnamese
COMPUTER SYSTEM ANALYST
65.
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
113.
CHEN, YANGYANG Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
26.
YAN CHE FAN Myanmari
HU, JIANAN Chinese
COMPUTER SYSTEM ANALYST
66.
FAN, XIN Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
27.
MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
114.
CHEN, XIAOPING Chinese
LANG THU THAO Vietnamese
67.
FANG, CHENGDONG Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
28.
MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
115.
HAO, ZEDU Chinese
LE THI HOAI PHUC Vietnamese
68.
116.
29.
MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
LI, DONG Chinese
LEANI Indonesian
FANG, CHENGXIAN Chinese
69.
GU, SHUIXING Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
30.
MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
117.
LIU, ZHIBAO Chinese
LIAO, RUIQING Chinese
70.
GUAN, YE Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
31.
MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
118.
LU, LIGANG Chinese
LILI SURIYANI Indonesian
71.
HOU, SHUAI Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
32.
MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
119.
MAI, JIANHUA Chinese
LO DIN SON Vietnamese
72.
HU, HAISONG Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
33.
MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
120.
NONG, SHIAIMING Chinese
NGUYEN THI HOA Vietnamese
73.
HUANG, ANWEN Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
34.
MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
121.
QI, ZHENGMAO Chinese
NGUYEN THI THU HA Vietnamese
74.
JU, HAINING Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
35.
MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
122.
ZHANG, JINFENG Chinese
PHAM QUANG VINH Vietnamese
75.
LIN, XIN Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
36.
MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
123.
HUANG, ZONGHANG Chinese
PHAN VAN VU Vietnamese
76.
MA, XIONGWEI Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
37.
MANDARIN LANGUAGE SPECIALIST
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
124.
ZENG, JIANFENG Chinese
RALIA Indonesian
77.
TONG XUAN THE Vietnamese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
125.
QIN, QINGDONG Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
BILLION DRAGON OUTSOURCE PHILS., INC. 3/f Ayala Mall Southpark National Road Alabang Muntinlupa City
78.
TRAN ANH TUAN Vietnamese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
126.
REN, QINGHONG Chinese
127.
SHUAI, WEN Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
128.
WANG, SHUDONG Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
129.
WANG, LEI Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
130.
WANG, GUANG Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
131.
WANG, YI Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
132.
XUE, CHAOYI Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT MANDARIN SPEAKING
38.
CHEN, MINGZHONG Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
79.
TRAN THI DUNG Vietnamese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
39.
GAN, YUAN Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
80.
LI, SHAOCHUN Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
WANG, XU Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
81.
WEN, HANGDONG Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
82.
WU, ANSHUAI Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
83.
WU, GUOYU Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE (CSR)
40.
CHINA HARBOUR ENGINEERING COMPANY 5/f Rm 501 Ramon Magsaysay Center 1680 Roxas Blvd. 076, Bgy. 699 Malate Manila 41.
BEN AMOR, FARHAT Tunisian
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
BusinessMirror
www.businessmirror.com.ph
ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS NO.
FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY
ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS POSITION
NO.
Friday, December 18, 2020 A7
ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS
FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY
POSITION
NO.
ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS
FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY
POSITION
NO.
FOREIGN NATIONAL / NATIONALITY
POSITION
SOJITZ PHILIPPINE CORPORATION 23rd Flr. Nac Tower 32nd Street Fort Bonifacio Taguig City
173.
WANG, HUAZE Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
215.
WANG, HONG Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST
257.
SHEN, ZHE Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
174.
WEI, JIJUN Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
216.
WANG, QIAOMEI Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST
258.
SU, YIHUI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
175.
WEI, LAI Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
217.
YIN, YUCHEN Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST
259.
SUN, FEIFEI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
176.
WU, ZEFAN Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
ZOU, YONGZHI Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST
260.
SUN, PENGHUI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
YANG, YANJIE Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
261.
WANG, SHIMENG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
262.
WANG, XIAODONG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
263.
WU, YUBO Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
295.
FURUKUBO, TAKEKI Japanese
VP - RETAIL
264.
WU, YUKE Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
296.
OKAZAKI, YUICHIRO Japanese
VP, INTERNATIONAL MARKETING
265.
YANG, KUNSHOU Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
266.
YU, NAN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
297.
GAO, FENG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
267.
YUAN, YAJUAN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
298.
HUANG, LINA Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
268.
ZHOU, CHUANXU Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
299.
LI, LIANGPENG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
269.
LEE, HSIN-JUNG Taiwanese
TAIWANESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
300.
LUO, JIE Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
270.
CHAC SAT MUI Vietnamese
VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
301.
NING, XIANFENG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
271.
NGUYEN THI NGOC ANH Vietnamese
VIETNAMESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
302.
OU, FENGHAO Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
303.
TANG, LEI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
304.
WAN, XIAOWEN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
305.
WANG, SHENGYI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
306.
WANG, YOUXIN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
307.
WU, JIANZHONG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
308.
XIONG, WENBIN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
309.
ZENG, JIANFENG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
310.
ZHANG, LILING Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
311.
ZHANG, SHUANGXI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
177.
178.
179.
180.
181.
YANG, JUNJUN Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
YAP TIONG EE Malaysian
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
YU, JIAXIANG Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
YUAN, HUAYU Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
ZHANG, YU Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
ZHANG, WENJIE Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
184.
ZHU, QINGFU Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
185.
ZOU, YUHAO Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE MANDARIN SPEAKING
186.
FU, JINSONG Chinese
MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING
187.
GUO, XIANYE Chinese
MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING
188.
GUO, JIE Chinese
MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING
189.
HU, GUIHAI Chinese
MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING
190.
LI, ZHIYING Chinese
MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING
191.
LIU, YIBO Chinese
MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING
192.
LIU, GUO Chinese
MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING
193.
LUO, MIN Chinese
MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING
194.
NING, XIN Chinese
MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING
195.
TANG, XIAOCHONG Chinese
MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING
196.
TANG, HAICAN Chinese
MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING
197.
TANG, WENZHOU Chinese
MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING
198.
WANG, ZHIGUI Chinese
MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING
199.
XIONG, WEIWEI Chinese
MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING
200.
XU, PITIAN Chinese
MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING
YANG, CHAO Chinese
MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING
YIN, ZIBIN Chinese
MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING
ZHANG, TAO Chinese
MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING
ZHANG, WENZHUO Chinese
MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING
ZHANG, XINGHONG Chinese
MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING
ZHONG, MING Chinese
MARKETING STAFF MANDARIN SPEAKING
182.
183.
201. 202. 203. 204. 205. 206.
GRANDTECH SUPPORT SERVICES INC. 4/f U-2c One E-com Ctr. Bldg. Ocean Drive Brgy. 076 Pasay City 207.
SYLVIA TIONG UNG SIN Malaysian
GAN JI SIANG Malaysian
MALAYSIAN SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
INTEGRATED GLOBAL SERVICES, INC. PHILIPPINE BRANCH 1311 Batangas St. San Isidro Makati City 209.
VAN DER WALT, NICKY South African
REGIONAL OPERATIONS HEAD
INVECH TREASURE PROCESSING CORPORATION Ground, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Floor Six West Campus Mckinley West Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 210.
DOAN THI HAI Vietnamese
JINDINGYUAN BUSINESS SUPPORT, INC. 3-9/f Filinvest Cyberzone Bldg. A, Bay City Brgy. 076 Pasay City 219.
COMPUTER SYSTEM ANALYST
ITECHNO SPECIALIST INC. 9/f 100 West Building Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Pio Del Pilar Makati City
ZHANG, ZHENRONG Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
JT INTERNATIONAL (PHILIPPINES) INC. Penthouse, W Office Building 28th St. Cor. 11th Avenue Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 220.
JELISAVAC, DEJAN Serbian
MARKETING DIRECTOR
LOGICALSOURCE1 CALL CENTER INC. 8/f Sultan Cityland Central Brgy. Highway Hills Mandaluyong City 221.
LIU, DONGSHENG Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
MELCO RESORTS LEISURE (PHP) CORPORATION City Of Dreams Aseana Ave. Cor. Roxas Blvd. Tambo Parañaque City 222.
CHAN CHOO KEAN Malaysian
CHEF DE CUISINE
MF CONSULTANCY MANAGEMENT SERVICES INC. Unit 1001 10/f Antel 2000 Corporate Centre 121 Valero St. Bel-air Makati City 223.
CHEN, ZHUZONG Chinese
CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS OFFICER
224.
DING, YATING Chinese
CHINESE SPEAKING CUSTOMER RELATIONS OFFICER
MOA CLOUDZONE CORP. 4th-11th Flr. Nexgen Tower C4 Rd. Edsa Ext. Brgy. 076 Pasay City 225.
DU, GANG Chinese
226.
HU, JUNJI Chinese
227.
HUANG, JINGJING Chinese
228.
JIANG, WEI Chinese
229.
LIAO, WEI Chinese
230.
LYU, PANFENG Chinese
231.
TANG, RUI Chinese
232.
WANG, XUDONG Chinese
233.
WANG, ZHONGXU Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
234.
WEI, DONGHAN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
235.
XU, JING Chinese
236.
YAN, WEIMIN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
NESTLE PHILIPPINES, INC. Rockwell Center 31 Plaza Drive Poblacion Makati City 272.
KALKANDELENLI, ONUR Turkish
CPW PLANT HEAD
NEW ORIENTAL CLUB88 CORPORATION 1331 Pearl Plaza Bldg. Quirino Ave. Tambo Parañaque City 273.
KANG, WEIJIAN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
274.
TAN, LINGHUI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
275.
XIE, JINTAO Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
OPTIMUS SYSTEM SOLUTIONS INC. 8/f Alphaland Makati Tower 3 7232 Ayala Ave. Extn. Cor. Malugay St. Bel-air Makati City 276.
REN, TONGTONG Chinese
ACCOUNTS OFFICER
PESTECH CORPORATION Unit 202 21 Lki Bldg. Congressional Ave. Bahay Toro 1 Quezon City 277.
SANDY DAYAO Malaysian
CIVIL CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
PESTECH CORPORATION Unit 202 21 Lki Bldg. Congressional Ave. Bahay Toro 1 Quezon City 278.
JEFFSON MARK BENJAMIN Malaysian
SITE MANAGER
POWERCHINA PHILIPPINES CORPORATION Unit 2101 21/f Bdo Equitable Tower 8751 Paseo De Roxas Bel-air Makati City
SURESTE PROPERTIES INC. The Executive Offices, Solaire Resort & Casino 1 Asean Avenue, Entertainment City Tambo Parañaque City 294.
MITTY, WARREN JAMES British
SENIOR PACKAGE MANAGER
TIGER RESORT, LEISURE AND ENTERTAINMENT, INC. Okada Manila, New Seaside Drive Entertainment City Barangay Tambo Parañaque City
TRIVES TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION Tower 4 Bayport West Naia Garden Residence, Naia Road Tambo Parañaque City
VPC CORPORATE SOLUTIONS INCORPORATED 11/f 100 West, Sen Gil Puyat Ave. Cor. Washington St. Pio Del Pilar Makati City 312.
LIAO, CHI-HSIANG Taiwanese
BILINGUAL MARKETING SPECIALIST
313.
THONG LY LIN Vietnamese
VIETNAM-SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFICER
314.
VONG NHI NINH Vietnamese
VIETNAM-SPEAKING CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFICER
WISHLAND SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY INC. 28/f Techzone Condo Corp. 213 Buendia Ave. San Antonio Makati City
237.
YANG, YIPING Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
279.
238.
YAO, YIZHI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
280.
LI, FENG Chinese
EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION SPECIALIST
315.
LI, YANWEN Chinese
CHINESE LANGUAGE CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF
239.
YE, YONGYONG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
281.
QIN, YONGLI Chinese
EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION SPECIALIST
316.
PENG, JUN Chinese
CUSTOMER SERVICE
240.
YU, YANING Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
282.
WANG, GANG Chinese
EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION SPECIALIST
317.
KHAWAS, JESSICA Indian
SENIOR GROUP MANAGER QUALITY
241.
YU, PEI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
283.
WANG, KE Chinese
EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION SPECIALIST
242.
ZHANG, QIANG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
284.
XIAO, GUOQIANG Chinese
EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION SPECIALIST
243.
ZHANG, XIANG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
285.
WANG, LIHUA Chinese
SAFETY OFFICER
244.
ZHENG, QI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE
RCG INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (PHILIPPINES), INC. 3/f Finman Centre 131 Tordesillas St. Bel-air Makati City
245.
CUI, YONGZHENG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
286.
246.
HE, LINA Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
RIGHT CHOICE FINANCE CORP. 5e-1 Electra House Bldg. 115-117 Esteban Street San Lorenzo Makati City
247.
HOU, YAPENG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
287.
TRIEU VAN HOANG Vietnamese
248.
HUANG, ZONGYIN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
288.
249.
HUANGFU, QIANLIANG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
289.
250.
JI, SHUAI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
RUNNINGMAN CORPORATION 8/f Techzone Bldg. 213 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. San Antonio Makati City
251.
JIN, CHENG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
290.
252.
KAN, XIAOYI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
S-TECH LTD. 28/f Yuchengco Tower, Rcbc Plaza 6819 Ayala Avenue Bel-air Makati City
253.
LI, SHUAI Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
254.
LI, JIA Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
211.
LIU, HENGMING Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST
212.
MO, YIBO Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST
213.
OUYANG, JI Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST
255.
LIN, CANYANG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
214.
PENG, YIPING Chinese
CHINESE IT SUPPORT SPECIALIST
256.
LIU, BODONG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
291.
CHIEF EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION SPECIALIST
DIRECTOR, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, TREASURER AND GENERAL MANAGER OF THE ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT
PENG, XINYU Chinese
HR OFFICER-MANDARIN
INQUICK SERVICES INC. Unit 606 6/f Itc Bldg. 337 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Bel-air Makati City 208.
218.
293.
YAMADA, NAOKI Japanese
XIAOLONGKAN RESTAURANT 5f Chino Roces Cor. Export Bank Drive Pio Del Pilar Makati City 318.
YANG, BO Chinese
CHINESE BARISTA
ZTE PHILIPPINES INC. Unit 1201 & 1202 12th Floor Fort Legend Towers 3rd Ave. Corner 31st St. Bgc, Fort Bonifacio Taguig City 319.
XU, GANG Chinese
ACCOUNT MANAGER
320.
XU, RUI Chinese
COLLECTION MANAGER
321.
SHI, DAWEI Chinese
CW MANAGER
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER (VIETNAMESE)
322.
LIU, FENG Chinese
HR MANAGER
WANG, ZIFANG Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SUPPORT
323.
WANG, WEIFEI Chinese
MICROWAVE TECHNOLOGY MANAGER
XU, JINWEN Chinese
CHINESE CUSTOMER SUPPORT
324.
LI, NINGTAO Chinese
PRODUCT MANAGER
CHAKRABARTY, ARUP Indian
JONES, PIMCHANOKE Thai
CHONG JIA HAU Malaysian
CONSULTANT
SENIOR THAI-LANGUAGE CUSTOMER SERVICE SUPPORT STAFF
MANDARIN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE
*Date Generated: Dec 17, 2020
Any person in the Philippines who is competent, able and willing to perform the services for which the foreign national is desired may file an objection at DOLE-NCR Regional Office located at DOLE-NCR Building, 967 Maligaya St., Malate Manila, within 30 days after this publication. Please inform DOLE-NCR if you have any information on criminal offense committed by the foreign nationals.
SHANGHAI ELECTRIC POWER CONSTRUCTION PHILIPPINE CORPORATION Unit 2703-d 27/f West Tower, Psec Exchange Road Ortigas Ctr. Pasig City 292.
XU, YIYONG Chinese
PROJECT MANAGER MANDARIN SPEAKING
ATTY. SARAH BUENA S. MIRASOL REGIONAL DIRECTOR
A8
Friday, December 18, 2020
The World BusinessMirror
California crisis deepens as Alaska reports adverse reaction to vaccine
N
ew cases in California shattered another record as a deepening crisis threatens a shortage of intensive-care beds and medical staff. The most-populous US state is struggling to control its outbreak even as most residents are under stay-at-home orders.
the EU list of permitted travel to residents of just eight states: Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.
Merkel ties pandemic exit to above 60 percent immunization rate
German Chancellor Angela Merkel tied an exit from the coronavirus pandemic to immunizing more than 60 percent of the population, indicating a long fight still ahead. Germany is targeting so-called herd immunity, which means most of the population is resistant to the disease, Merkel said Wednesday in Germany’s lower house of parliament.
Johnson urges ‘extreme caution’ in UK over Christmas
Nurse Banu Mufale administers a Pfizer-BioNtech Covid-19 vaccine to physical therapist Becca Mamrol on December 16 at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, Alaska. The hospital, Alaska’s largest, plans to vaccinate 485 people this week. Loren Holmes/Anchorage Daily News via AP
California reported a record 53,711 new virus cases and 293 deaths, according to state health department data. The daily case count includes 41,081 newly reported infections—shattering the prior record by more than 5,000—while the remaining cases reflect a backlog from previous days due to a new processing system, the department said in a statement. Hospitalizations jumped 4.3 percent to a record 15,886 patients. Governor Gavin Newsom said on Tuesday that officials are looking overseas to hire temporary medical personnel, and may ask the US Navy to send back a hospital ship. Meanwhile, a health-care worker in Alaska experienced the first known severe allergic event in the US since administration of Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE’s Covid-19 vaccine began this week. The person, who had no history of allergies, experienced flushing and shortness of breath 10 minutes after receiving the shot, the Alaska health department said in a statement Wednesday. The person was admitted to the emergency room and received Pepcid, Benadryl and epinephrine through an intravenous drip. The patient stayed overnight and is in stable condition, according to the department. Pfizer is coordinating with local officials and will closely monitor all reports suggesting serious allergic reactions and will update labeling language if needed, spokeswoman Jerica Pitts said in a statement. Reports of serious allergic reactions in the UK prompted US regulators to
recommend not administering the shot to people with a known history of allergies to any component of Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine. The first hiccups in the distribution of a Covid-19 vaccine in the US included a holdup in delivering 3,900 shots to two states and the announcement that Pfizer Inc. would ship about 900,000 fewer doses next week than are set to ship this week. Key developments:
Pompeo in quarantine after exposure
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in quarantine after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19. Pompeo has tested negative for the infection and is being closely monitored by the State Department’s medical team, according to a department spokesperson. President Donald Trump is meeting with his Cabinet on Wednesday.
EU ousts Uruguay from travel list
The European Union shut its door to visitors from Uruguay amid a surge in coronavirus cases there, while gearing up for deliberations on how to treat travelers from the UK when its Brexit transition ends next month. EU governments decided on Wednesday in Brussels to remove Uruguay from their common list of countries whose residents should be allowed to visit the bloc during the pandemic, according to an official familiar with the matter. The removal of Uruguay shrinks
Boris Johnson urged people to exercise caution over Christmas. “We can celebrate it sensibly, but we have to be extremely cautious in the way we behave,” the prime minister told lawmakers in the House of Commons on Wednesday. As many as three households will be able to gather together for five days between December 23 and 27 in England. Ministers have faced growing demands to reconsider the approach after a surge in Covid-19 infections in recent days.
EU pushes for fast vaccine approval
European authorities are pushing for a compressed approval timeline for the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, according to people familiar with the plan, which could enable a rollout on the continent before Christmas. Should the vaccine win the backing of a key drugs oversight committee on Monday, the European Commission is planning for a sign-off as soon as the same day, two people said. That would enable shipping the first shots to vaccine centers as early as Wednesday, one of the people said.
New Zealand to inoculate entire population
New Zealand aims to begin vaccinating its entire population against Covid-19 in the second half of next year in its largest-ever immunization program, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. The government has secured two additional vaccines from pharmaceutical companies AstraZeneca and Novavax and will have enough for all 5 million New Zealanders, Ardern said Thursday in Wellington. If proven to be safe and effective, immunization will begin with border workers and essential staff in the second quarter of 2021 followed by the general population in the second half, she said. The vaccines will be free to the public. New Zealand has eliminated community transmission of the
virus, but its border remains closed, a big blow for the important tourism industry and the economy. Vaccines will be key to the reopening of the border, but the government cautioned Thursday that the start of the immunization program “will not mean any changes to our borders initially.”
France to receive 1.16 million vaccine doses by December 30
France expects to receive 1.16 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by December 30, Prime Minister Jean Castex said in a parliamentary debate. He said France, in coordination with other European countries, will do “everything possible” to start vaccinating in the last week of the year. France is counting on a further delivery around January 5, and an additional 1.6 million doses in February.
Irish authorities warn of ‘troubling’ trend
Ireland Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan warned of “significant and concerning indicators that this disease in moving in the wrong direction” after figures on Wednesday showed daily cases rising about a third to 431.Health authorities will meet Thursday to consider the renewed surge, which came after Ireland reopened non-essential stores, restaurants and some bars even as many governments across Europe tighten restrictions over Christmas. “ T hese t rend s a re a l l t he more troubling because of the delicate and precarious situation we are in—as a country, we are heading into a period of potential widespread inter-household and inter-generational mixing,” Holohan said.
Spain moves to tighten Christmas curbs
Spain granted regional administrations the power to further restrict movement and limit the size of Christmas gatherings, as new cases rose to the highest in almost a month. “We are concerned by the increase in recent days,” Health Minster Salvador Illa told reporters Wednesday, following a meeting with his counterparts from Spain’s 17 regions. Although gatherings are allowed, Illa said citizens should “stay at home and not move” over the holidays. On Wednesday, Spain reported 6,196 new daily infections, the most since November 19. Under the existing plan, no more than 10 people will be able to meet for festive celebrations on December 24, December 25, December 31 and New Year’s Day and these gatherings are limited to families. Travel between regions is limited between December 23 and January 6. Bloomberg News
South Korea marks deadliest day, adds more than 1,000 infections
S
EOUL, South Korea—South Korea has added more than 1,000 infections to its coronavirus caseload for the second straight day amid growing fears that the virus is spreading out of control in the greater capital area. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Thursday said the Covid-19 death toll was now at 634 after 22 patients died in the past 24 hours, the deadliest day since the emergence of the pandemic. Among 12,209 active patients, 242 are in serious or critical condition. Nearly 800 of the 1,014 new cases were reported from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, where health officials have raised
alarm about a looming shortage in hospital capacities. Thursday marked the 40th consecutive day of triple digit daily jumps, which brought the national caseload to 46,453. T he v ira l resurgence came after months of pandemic fatigue, complacency and government efforts to breathe life into a slug g ish economy. Officials are now mulling whether to raise social distancing restriction to maximum levels, which could possibly include bans on gatherings of more than 10 people, shutting tens of thousands of businesses deemed non-essential and requiring companies to have more employees work from home. AP
A park is taped off for the social distancing measures and a precaution against the coronavirus in Seoul, South Korea on December 16, 2020. AP Photo/Lee Jin-man
Editor: Angel R. Calso • www.businessmirror.com.ph
Chinese lunar capsule returns to Earth carrying moon rocks
B
EIJING—A Chinese lunar capsule returned to Earth on Thursday with the first fresh samples of rock and debris from the moon in more than 40 years. The capsule of the Chang’e 5 probe landed in the Siziwang district of the Inner Mongolia region, state media reported shortly after 2 a.m. (1800 GMT). The capsule earlier separated from its orbiter module and performed a bounce off Earth’s atmosphere to reduce its speed before passing through and floating to the ground on parachutes. Two of the Chang’e 5’s four modules set down on the moon on December 1 and collected about 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of samples by scooping them from the surface and by drilling 2 meters (about 6 feet) into the moon’s crust. The samples were deposited in a sealed container that was carried back to the return module by an ascent vehicle. The successful mission was the latest breakthrough for China’s increasingly ambitious space program that includes a robotic mission to Mars and plans for a permanent orbiting space station. Recovery crews had prepared helicopters and off-road vehicles to home in on signals emitted by the lunar spacecraft and locate it in the darkness shrouding the vast snow-covered region in China’s far north, long used as a landing site for China’s Shenzhou crewed spaceships. The spacecraft’s return marked the first time scientists have obtained fresh samples of lunar rocks since the former Soviet Union’s Luna 24 robot probe in 1976. The newly collected rocks are thought to be billions of years younger than those obtained earlier by the US and former Soviet Union, offering new insights into the history of the moon and other bodies in the solar system. They come from a part of the moon known as the Oceanus Procellarum, or Ocean of Storms, near a site called the Mons Rumker that was believed to have been volcanic in ancient times. As with the 382 kilograms (842 pounds) of lunar samples brought back by US astronauts from 1969 to 1972, they will be analyzed for age and composition and are expected to be shared with other countries. The age of the samples will help fill in a gap in knowledge about the history of the moon between roughly 1 billion and three billion years ago, Brad Jolliff, director of the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, wrote in an e-mail. They may also yield clues as to the availability of economically useful resources on the
moon such as concentrated hydrogen and oxygen, Jolliff said. “These samples will be a treasure trove!” Jolliff wrote. “My hat is off to our Chinese colleagues for pulling off a very difficult mission; the science that will flow from analysis of the returned samples will be a legacy that will last for many, many years, and hopefully will involve the international community of scientists.” Chang’e 5 blasted off from a launch base in China’s southern island province of Hainan on November 23 and appeared to have completed its highly technically sophisticated mission without a hitch. It marked China’s third successful lunar landing but the only one to lift off again from the moon. Its predecessor, Chang’e 4, became the first probe to land on the moon’s little-explored far side and continues to send back data on conditions that could affect a future extended stay by humans on the moon. The moon has been a particular focus of the Chinese space program, which says it plans to land humans there and possibly construct a permanent base. No timeline or other details have been announced. China also has joined the effort to explore Mars. In July, it launched the Tianwen 1 probe, which was carrying a lander and a robot rover to search for water. In 2003, China became the third country to send an astronaut into orbit on its own after the Soviet Union and the United States and its space program has proceeded more cautiously than the US-Soviet space race of the 1960s, which was marked by fatalities and launch failures. By taking incremental steps, China appears on the path toward building a program that can sustain steady progress. “They have read, and admired the [US lunar program] Apollo playbook, but learned format as well,” said Joan Johnson-Freese, an expert on the Chines space program at the US Naval War College. “Better to go slow and set up infrastructure for the future than to do it quickly and end up with little that allows you to continue.” The latest flight includes collaboration with the European Space Agency, which is helping to monitor the mission. Amid concerns over the Chinese space program’s secrecy and close military connections, the US forbids cooperation between NASA and the CNSA unless Congress gives its approval. That has prevented China from taking part in the International Space Station, something it has sought to compensate for with the launching of an experimental space station and plans to complete a permanent orbiting outpost within the next two years. AP
Fed keeps short-term rate near zero, expects economy to rebound in 2021
W
ASHINGTON—The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that it will keep buying government bonds until the economy makes “substantial” progress, a step intended to reassure financial markets and keep long-term borrowing rates low indefinitely. The Fed also reiterated after its latest policy meeting that it expects to keep its benchmark shortterm interest rate near zero through at least 2023. The Fed has kept its key rate there since March, when it took a range of extraordinary steps to fight the pandemic recession by keeping credit flowing. Chair Jerome Powell said he and other Fed officials expect the economy to rebound at a healthy pace next year as viral vaccines become widely distributed. But the next three to six months will likely be painful for the unemployed and small businesses as pandemic cases spike, Powell said at a news conference. In a statement and in Powell’s answers to reporters, the Fed signaled that it’s prepared to keep rates ultra-low for the long run to help the economy withstand those threats and sustain a recovery. Yet Powell also pointedly stressed the need for further rescue aid from Congress to ease the impact of increased apartment evictions and business failures, and he expressed optimism about the deal under consideration by Congress. “The case for fiscal policy right now is very, very strong,” Powell said, “and I think that is widely understood now. It’s a very positive thing that we may finally be getting that.” Congressional leaders appear to be nearing agreement on a $900 billion relief package that would provide extended unemployment benefits, more loans for small businesses and possibly another round of stimulus checks for individual Americans. “Ongoing fiscal negotiations are more important than anything the Fed did today,” said Eric Winograd, US economist at asset manager AllianceBernstein. The Fed’s policymakers made just one notable change to the statement they issue after each meeting. On Wednesday, they said the central bank will continue to buy at least $80 billion of Treasurys and $40 billion of mortgage-backed securities a month “until substantial further progress has been made” toward the Fed’s goals of maximum employment and stable prices. Those purchases are intended to hold down longer-term rates, including borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans and some business loans. Previously, the Fed had said only that the purchases would continue “over coming months.” The new guidance suggests that the bond buys will continue indefinitely. “The key message is still that policy will remain unusually accommodative—with near-zero rates and asset purchases—continuing for several more years,” said Paul Ashworth, chief US economist for Capital Economics. Some economists faulted the phrasing as too evasive. More precise guidance might prevent financial markets from anticipating an end to the purchases before the Fed intends to reduce them. “The Fed’s forward guidance is disappointingly vague,”Winograd said, and could lead investors to force up interest rates sooner than the Fed would prefer.
In quarterly economic projections that the policymakers issued Wednesday, they painted a brighter picture for next year. Their upgrades likely reflect the expected impact of new coronavirus vaccines. The officials now foresee the economy contracting 2.4 percent this year, less than the 3.7 percent decline it envisioned in September. For next year, in anticipation of a rebound, the officials have upgraded their growth forecast from 4 percent to 4.2 percent. By the end of 2021, the Fed expects the unemployment rate to fall to 5 percent from the current 6.7 percent—lower than the 5.5 percent rate it had forecast in September. The Fed’s latest policy statement coincides with an economy that is stumbling and might even shrink over the winter as the raging pandemic forces new business restrictions and keeps many consumers at home. Weighing the bleak short-term outlook and the brighter long-term picture has complicated the Fed’s policymaking as it assesses how much more stimulus to pursue. At his news conference, Powell acknowledged that challenge. “The case numbers are so high and so widespread across the country...this will have the effect of suppressing activity,” he said, particularly in-person services such as eating out and traveling. “At the same time, people are getting vaccinated, now,”he added.“You have to think sometime in the middle of next year, you’ll see people comfortable going out and engaging in a broader range of activities.” Recent economic reports have generally reflected a sharply slowing recovery. On Wednesday, the Commerce Department reported the sharpest drop in retail sales in seven months. Americans held back on spending in November at the start of the holiday shopping season, which typically accounts for a quarter or more of retailers’ annual sales. And last week, the number of people seeking unemployment aid rose for the third time in four weeks, evidence that companies are increasingly cutting jobs nine months since the erupted of the pandemic caused a deep recession. Some economists had expected the Fed to announce a shift in its bond purchases by buying more longer-term bonds and fewer shorter-term securities—a step they could still take in future meetings. Such a move would seek to deliver more immediate help for consumers and businesses. Buying more 10-year Treasurys, for example, lowers their yield, and the 10-year yield influences mortgage rates and other borrowing costs. Yields on two- or three-year bonds, by contrast, don’t affect many other rates. But the Fed may prefer to keep that step in reserve in the event that the economy significantly worsens next year. Powell also addressed the Fed’s decision Tuesday to join the Network of Central Banks and Supervisors for Greening the Financial System, an organization of 83 central banks and regulators that is considering how to gauge the risk climate change poses for banks’ lending portfolios. “Climate change is an emerging risk to financial institutions, the financial system and the economy,” Powell said. “And we are, as so many others are, in the very early stages of understanding what that means, what needs to be done about it and by whom.” AP
Friday, December 18, 2020 A9
www.businessmirror.com.ph
Megawide, partner may still ‘TIGHT’ LABOR pitch ₧109-B Naia rehab offer MARKET SEEN
T
By Lorenz S. Marasigan
@lorenzmarasigan
HE doors are not entirely closed for Megawide Construction Corp. and partner GMR Infrastructure Ltd. to pursue their P109-billion proposal to redevelop the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), according to government officials.
In a Senate hearing on Thursday, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said the board of the Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) may still entertain a motion for reconsideration in relation to the revocation of the original proponent status (OPS) of the Filipino-Indian partners. “During the December 14 meeting, the board confirmed its decision to revoke the OPS with the following caveat: that Miaa will continue with its ongoing rehabilitation and reconstruction program, giving emphasis to security and safety; and second is recognizing the procedural rights of Megawide to the decision to revoke,” he said. Tugade emphasized: “In my understanding, there is still a door or a window open as regards the OPS. They can still appeal the decision, while Miaa is continuing with the rehab and reconstruction of Naia.” Megawide will soon submit a motion for reconsideration to reverse the decision of the Miaa board. Senator Grace Poe-Llamanzares sought for a clarification as
to whether the decision of Miaa still stands despite Tugade’s pronouncements, given that Megawide has the “procedural right” for reconsideration. Miaa General Manager Ed V. Monreal noted that the decision “still stands,” and stressed that the decision can only be overturned by a board decision, not a unilateral decision of the Miaa chief. “Should Megawide come up with a reconsideration, we will present it to the board—so that the board can act on it favorably or not,” he said. “The cancellation is still there, until or unless the board says otherwise.” As to a timeline for the correction of this issue, Monreal said the board can only decide on the matter in its next meeting, which will be set for sometime “before the end of the year.” “We are still aaiting for a letter from Megawide—a letter to ask the board to convene to study the proposal. We will see how the board takes it,” he said.
No reason for revocation
The board of the Miaa “resolved” on late Tuesday to revoke the OPS
from the Filipino-Indian partners based on two separate “meetings” on December 4 and December 15. The letter did not specify any reason for the revocation. Monreal explained during the Senate hearing that the board decided to revoke the OPS due to the findings of the National Economic and Development Authority-Investment Coordination Council (Neda-ICC) that Megawide cannot meet the equity requirement to undertake the project. On November 19, Transportation Undersecretary Ruben S. Reinoso said, Neda forwarded a letter to the Miaa stating that Megawide’s financing program to meet the equity requirement is “speculative.” Megawide needed P32.63 billion to meet the equity requirement, based on the 30-70 debt-to-equity ratio requirement.
Deadline given?
Reinoso said the government gave Megawide a “deadline” in October to rectify the issue. Megawide officials denied such a deadline. Megawide Chief Business Development Officer Jaime Raphael C. Feliciano said his group was able to submit documents that prove the financial capability of Megawide to undertake the project. Feliciano explained that Megawide will shoulder 60 percent of the equity requirement, while GMR will take care of the rest. Megawide, in 2019, had P18 billion in net worth. He added that Megawide issued preferred shares in November to “set aside” P1.58 billion and meet the equity requirement.
“From our perspective, all the requirements set by Neda-ICC have been submitted,“ Feliciano said. To recall, Megawide submitted a revised proposal for the redevelopment of Naia after the first proponent, Naia Consortium, backed out of the project. The revised proposal carried the comments and demands of the government in regard to aspects such as material adverse government action and fees. Megawide has proposed to implement the project between seven and five years in three phases. The first phase includes the immediate improvement of the airside and landside segments of Naia through improvements on the existing terminal and the optimization of the existing runways. The second phase involves construction of a new passenger terminal building and improvement of the apron and taxi lane to provide access to the new terminal. The group will also relocate the cargo terminal and the fuel farm to accommodate the new terminal building. The last phase will see the group building a rail-people mover system that will allow passengers to move from one terminal to another through an overhead railway system. Aside from Megawide, two other parties are interested in undertaking the rehabilitation and redevelopment of Naia. These are: Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions Inc. and San Miguel Corp. The government can only entertain one unsolicited proposal for a similar project at a time, under the rules of the Build-OperateTransfer Law.
IN NEXT 2 YEARS
T
By Samuel P. Medenilla
@sam_medenilla
HE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is anticipating a “tight” labor market in the next two years with the expected participation of 4 million workers displaced since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. In an online press briefing on Thursday, Labor Assistant Secretary Dominique R. Tutay disclosed they registered 3.8 million workers who were permanently and temporarily displaced from January to October. DOLE’s International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB) also tallied over 550,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFW) whose employment was affected by the pandemic. Of these OFWs, ILAB Director Alice Q. Visperas said 370,000 have already been repatriated to their home provinces. Another 126,000 OFWs are still waiting to be brought home, while 82,000 have opted to remain in their host countries, according to Visperas. Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) Administrator Hans J. Cacdac said 80,000 of the home-bound OFWs are expected to arrive by the first half of 2021.
Employment challenge
Further worsening this situation, Tutay said, is the projected entry into the labor market of the first batch of students covered by the K to 12 program—which extended basic education to 13 years. The sheer number of jobless Filipinos, the labor official pointed out, will impose a significant burden on the local labor market, which is still reeling from the effects of the pandemic. “So this means the labor market will be very tight in 2021 and 2022 and it’s going to be a challenge for us as we open gradually our economy,” Tutay said. “But hopefully with the [introduction of the] vaccine, our businesses will be more confident [to resume their operations] and also our entrants to [join] the labor market,” she added. DOLE and other government agencies are currently crafting the National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS) to address the labor impact of Covid-19 in the next three years. Among the salient points of the draft NERs are a wage subsidy for micro, small, and medium establishments (MSMEs) and cash aid for the youth.
Money-laundering law changes clear 2nd reading
T
HE Senate has approved on second reading a “tougher” A nti-Money Laundering Act (Amla) the awaited remedial legislation to avert international sanctions such as landing on a grey list that makes it harder and costlier to process financial transactions, possibly impacting millions of Filipino workers remitting money back home. In pushing timely passage of the measure, Senator Grace Poe, who chairs the sponsoring Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies, assured that “ both the people and the economy” stand to benefit from early enactment of the tougher anti-money laundering law. Poe pointed out that Senate Bill No. 1945, also known as the proposed Strengthening the AntiMoney Laundering Act, contained amendments “updating the existing law to effectively curb money laundering and terrorist financing activities.” The approved Senate version of a stricter Amla was “a product of the senators’ well-studied and thorough deliberation” of the measure, Poe said, adding that “preserving the integrity of the financial system will lead to a suitable investment climate, which can contribute in tangible ways to create jobs and other livelihood opportunities.”
Unwelcome impositions
She added: “I believe in the intention of this law but I also admit with the help of our col-
leagues that we were able to cure a few things that might have been too much of an imposition on us.” Poe noted the remedial legislation was crafted as a response to the key findings of the mutual evaluation report or MER, which evaluated the Philippines’s compliance with the 40 recommendations of the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Money Laundering. The lawmaker earlier noted that “if we fail to act now, the FATF Asia Pacific Joint Group or AP-JG will place the Philippines in the so-called ‘grey list’ along with countries like Albania, Pakistan, Panama, Syria, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.” Being on this grey list, she said, “is a very strong signal to market participants and regulators globally. It has implications which we must avoid as much as we can, especially during the time of a global pandemic.” The enhanced due diligence to be imposed on the Philippines could translate to higher costs of remittance for the millions of overseas Filipino workers sending money to their families. Moreover, the senator noted that “being under tight scrutiny, Filipino nationals and businesses that transact with AP-JG members could also face additional cost, paperwork, higher interest rates and processing fees,” reminding that the Philippines will likely “incur a reputational risk that would certainly result in reduced investor and lender confidence.” Butch Fernandez
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority workers remove barriers to reopen two U-turn slots on Edsa (one in front of the Quezon City Academy in Bago Bantay and another one near Dario Bridge in Balintawak, Quezon City), closed along with 11 others in September to give way to the transportation department’s Edsa Busway project. Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte had earlier requested their removal after receiving complaints from motorists. NONOY LACZA
Gross revenue of industries posts double-digit dip in Q3 By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario
T
HE gross revenue of industries continued to post a double-digit contraction in the third quarter, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Based on the Quarterly Economic Indices (QEI) of the Philippines, the PSA said the gross revenue index contracted 13.1 percent in the July-to-September period. Data showed this was an improvement from the decline of 26.8 percent in the second quarter. How-
ever, this was still lower than the 7.8-percent growth posted in the same period of the previous year. “Gross Revenue refers to the value of receipts from the shipment of goods produced, resale of goods and services rendered,” PSA said. PSA data showed that among the industries, Real Estate posted the largest decline of 39.2 percent in the third quarter. This was followed by declines in Other Services at 32.9 percent; Transportation, Storage and Communication, 27.7 percent; and Mining and Quarrying, 13.6 percent.
Meanwhile, the Total Employment Index also contracted 10.7 percent while Other Services registered the largest drop with 18.8 percent. This was followed by declines in Transportation, Storage and Communication with a contraction of 17.8 percent; Manufacturing with 6 percent; and Trade with 5.3 percent, during the period. PSA data also showed the Total Compensation Index declined 10.1 percent in the third quarter. Transportation, Storage and Communication had the biggest decline of 25.1 percent in the third
quarter of this year. Other industries that contributed to the decline were Other Services which contracted 16.3 percent; Manufacturing, 8.8 percent; and Real Estate with 7 percent. The QEI publication is a compilation of quarterly indices on production, gross revenue, employment, compensation, production per worker, and compensation per employee. The QEI follows the classification of the National Accounts and represents the industry groupings based on the Philippine Standard Industrial Classification.
A10 Friday, December 18, 2020 • Editor: Angel R. Calso
Opinion BusinessMirror
www.businessmirror.com.ph
editorial
Lazy thinking in 140 characters
C
olonial mentality is “the internalized attitude of ethnic or cultural inferiority felt by people as a result of colonization. It corresponds with the belief that the cultural values of the colonizer are inherently superior to one’s own.” That definition is probably too narrow as that mentality also extends to politics and economics.
Japan has a strong, successful national government. Maybe we need an emperor thought to be a direct descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu. Singapore works also so change the political system so one man can be the leader for 31 years and then Senior Minister/ Mentor Minister for another 21 years. China took 800 million people out of poverty, so a centrally planned economy is what is needed. But what is sort of the opposite of “colonial mentality” when some in a nation think that it is so exclusive that external factors have little or no impact on internal conditions and situations? Critical thinking requires hard work. You need to gather a wide range of verifiable data, not just opinions. That data must be examined in context such as perhaps the reason it is difficult to buy snow boots in the Philippines is because there is no snow. The analysis must deep-dive the information to understand how it all fits together. Conclusions—and therefore solutions to problems—must come from the analysis. The analysis should not simply support a pre-conceived conclusion. Lazy thinking means to prove, analyze, and conclude an issue in 140 characters on Twitter. “Inflation Higher, Inflation Bad, Administration Bad.” Total intellectual success and with 89 characters left over. “The country’s headline inflation jumped to 3.3 percent in November, higher than the previous 2.5 percent in October, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Friday. Inflation for food index at the national level moved up at a faster pace of 2.1 percent during the month after five consecutive months of deceleration.” Facts. Analysis: “The pace of price increases likely accelerated in November due to higher energy costs and more expensive food items caused by the series of typhoons.” “The Filipinos will have to pay a heavy burden and price under Duterte incompetence.” There it is. All the critical thinking you could ever need about Philippine inflation and well within the 140-character limit. Maybe we should look a little deeper. The United Nations World Food Price Index is currently at 105. That is up from 85 (24 percent) in early 2016 and higher than the June 2020 reading at 92 (6.5 percent). Who cares? It is still the fault of typhoons/government since we are 7,000 islands in the middle of the ocean 1,200 kilometers from continental Asia. Except, our Import Dependency Ratio for food has risen steadily to 30 percent in 2019 from 23 percent in 2017 and 22 percent in 2016. The Philippines needs to import most of its dairy requirements. Local production is 4.7 percent and imports account for 95.3 percent. We imported $1.6 billion of wheat last year. Total grains imports are forecast at 8 million tons in 2020. The country is set to import 3.1 million tons of soymeal. In 2000, we imported 94 metric tons of beef. In 2019, that jumped to 185 metric tons. When the price of your “Jolly Spaghetti” or “Spaghetti and Meatballs All’Amatriciana with freshly grated Parmesan cheese” goes up, it might be because of something more than typhoons or government. Since 2005
BusinessMirror A broader look at today’s business ✝ Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua Founder Publisher Editor in Chief Associate Editor News Editor
T. Anthony C. Cabangon
Jennifer A. Ng Vittorio V. Vitug Lorenzo M. Lomibao Jr., Gerard S. Ramos Lyn B. Resurreccion, Dennis D. Estopace Angel R. Calso
Online Editor
Ruben M. Cruz Jr.
Chairman of the Board Ombudsman President Advertising Sales Manager Group Circulation Manager
Better Days
T
he reconciled 2021 budget that Congress has approved is currently awaiting the President’s signature. We have worked diligently to ensure that through this budget, assistance is extended in a timely manner to those who have been affected by calamity, poverty, disease, and homelessness in the past year. We have also funded laws and bills that will have far-reaching impacts on the lives of Filipinos. Some of these measures directly address matters pertaining to the Covid-19 pandemic, health care, and people’s welfare. One is the Doktor Para Sa Bayan Act, which is awaiting the President’ signature. This measure seeks to produce more healthcare workers across the country through medical scholarships given to qualified and deserving students. It also requires that each region will have at least one state-operated medical school. To this end, the 2021 budget allocates P1.033 billion as a seed fund for the development of medical schools in 12 state universities or colleges. Another is the National Integrated Cancer Control Act (RA 11215), which establishes a nationwide program for addressing this other deadly disease and a Cancer Assistance Fund that will be allocated P620 million. P150 million of this will be for cancer medicines for children. Meanwhile, the Mental Health Act (RA 11036), which seeks to develop a comprehensive, integrated,
effective, and efficient national mental health-care system, has been provided P384.355 million under the Department of Health, and P50 million under the Department for Social Welfare and Development. Then there is RA 11350, which I co-authored, establishing the National Commission on Senior Citizens as the main agency that will ensure the full implementation of laws and policies upholding the welfare of the elderly. P25 million was allocated to start its operations. We’ve also provided funding for measures focused on education and sports. SBN 1092, the Teaching Supplies Allowance Act of 2020, will be implemented even before its enactment with a budget of P1.365 billion, under the Department of Education (DepEd). This will increase cash allowances for public teachers from P3,500 to P5,000 each in 2021. Another is RA 11470, establishing the National Academy of Sports. Construction of the NAS main campus will begin next year
with P729 million appropriated under the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, and another P264.665 million under the DepEd. To ensure proper support for our agencies on law and order, P244.988 million has been provided for RA 11459, the Judges-atLarge Act of 2019, which will allow judges to be assigned to regional trial courts as acting or assisting judges in a bid to decongest our judicial system. Then up to P50 million has been set aside to establish a Philippine Judiciary Marshal Service to protect our magistrates, as contemplated by a measure currently pending in Congress. We have also provided funding for other laws tied to our attempts to “build forward better.” P4.319 billion will be appropriated for the Philippine Statistics Authority, with another P2.5 billion included as unprogrammed appropriations, to implement the Philippine Identification System Act (RA 11055). These funds will be used for the ongoing registration for the national ID system—which will make distributing any social amelioration more efficient. Furthermore, the Department
of Information and Communications Technology shall receive a total P3.225 billion to implement the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act (RA 10929). This amount will be used to establish free Wi-Fi services in government facilities, public education centers, local community areas, and central transport points, among others. Then the National Economic and Development Authority will receive P200 million for the implementation of the Philippine Innovation Act (RA 11293). In particular, the funding will be for the National Innovation Council, which will coordinate with various government departments to set the direction for the country’s innovation goals and priorities, through the National Innovation Agenda and Strategy Document. Finally, in line with RA 11363, the Philippine Space Act, the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) will receive P313.717 million to begin its operations, hire staff, and start implementing its programs. A priority for the P4.5-trillion 2021 national budget is improving our Covid-19 response. But we thought that we should also fund our recently enacted laws, so as not to render them irrelevant. We already have laws that can help the Filipino people; it is now a matter of ensuring they are implemented, and implemented well. Sen. Sonny Angara has been in public service for 16 years—nine years as Representative of the Lone District of Aurora, and seven as Senator. He has authored and sponsored more than 200 laws. He is currently serving his second term in the Senate. E-mail: sensonnyangara@yahoo.com| Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @sonnyangara
We have always needed medical solutions Rev. Fr. Antonio Cecilio T. Pascual
SERVANT LEADER
Eduardo A. Davad Nonilon G. Reyes D. Edgard A. Cabangon Judge Pedro T. Santiago (Ret.) Benjamin V. Ramos Aldwin Maralit Tolosa Rolando M. Manangan
BusinessMirror is published daily by the Philippine Business Daily Mirror Publishing, Inc., with offices on the 3rd floor of Dominga Building III 2113 Chino Roces Avenue corner De La Rosa Street, Makati City, Philippines. Tel. Nos. (Editorial) 817-9467; 813-0725. Fax line: 813-7025. (Advertising Sales) 893-2019; 817-1351, 817-2807. (Circulation) 893-1662; 814-0134 to 36. E-mail: news@businessmirror.com.ph.
www.businessmirror.com.ph
Printed by brown madonna Press, Inc.–Sun Valley Drive KM-15, South Superhighway, Parañaque, Metro Manila MEMBER OF
Sonny M. Angara
A priority for the P4.5-trillion 2021 national budget is improving our Covid-19 response. But we thought that we should also fund our recently enacted laws, so as not to render them irrelevant. We already have laws that can help the Filipino people; it is now a matter of ensuring they are implemented, and implemented well.
Lourdes M. Fernandez
Senior Editors
Creative Director Chief Photographer
Funding new laws
B
rothers and sisters, it has been almost nine months since the government placed many areas of the country under different forms and levels of community quarantine in order to stop the spread of Covid-19. Before these steps were taken, many have already said that a travel ban for foreigners from other countries should have been implemented because of the increasing number of positive cases. But the government allowed entry of foreigners in a business-as-usual fashion until the beginning of the local spread of the virus. When community quarantine began, which we can consider as a lockdown, many of us called out for government to conduct aggressive contact tracing and mass testing.
These have not been fulfilled—or have not been done in an acceptable manner. In contact tracing, for example, we can only know up to seven of our contacts or people who have
encountered a person with Covid-19 in urban areas, and up to 30 people for every ill fellow man in rural areas. One of the reasons for this is the lack of a proper system and documentation of cases, which are still done manually by the local government units. There are still not enough contact tracers in the country. Meanwhile, as many have been yearning for mass testing that the World Health Organization strongly suggested, President Duterte realized this measure’s importance just the past week. Conducting swab testing was said to be expensive, especially in private medical facilities and hospitals, which led the government unable to dedicate funds. When Health Secretary Francisco Duque reported the prices of swab tests to President Duterte, the President ordered his secretary to use government funds for a Covid-19 testing program. Mass testing refers to
identifying persons with Covid-19 to lessen the number of cases to a more manageable level based on the current health system capacity of the country. Mass testing must be done to all who are suspected to have Covid-19 as well as those close to them, all health frontliners, and those living in areas considered to be highrisk or vulnerable communities. After the rising allegations of corruption in PhilHealth, fake sand dumped in Manila Bay, and the President was able to purchase a private jet priced at P2 billion, President Duterte—after nine months—just realized the importance of mass testing. Then again, he only considered Covid-19 as the top problem of the country last July. Four months after the administration placed the country on lockdown. Other countries have started to vaccinate their people, but here in See “Pascual,” A11
www.businessmirror.com.ph
Opinion
Home for the holidays
A season of symbols
BusinessMirror
Tito Genova Valiente
Alvin Ang
EAGLE WATCH Oh, there’s no place like home for the holidays ‘Cause no matter how far away you roam When you pine for the sunshine of a friendly gaze For the holidays, you can’t beat home, sweet home
T
his fifties Christmas song describes the longing that runs deep in every Filipino working, studying or simply based abroad. This has become more pronounced in the last three decades, when overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) timed their annual vacation to join loved ones and friends in the happiest season of all. The pandemic has made it all the more special as separated family members desire to be with their loved ones and see how each one is getting through this challenge. While this is what we want to happen, the pandemic has made it difficult to fully enjoy what the season offers. The excitement that Christmas brings pushes consumption highest every last quarter of the year. With more purchasing power due to bonuses and 13th month pay, more remittances sent home by those who cannot be home and cash brought home by returning workers have pushed economic activities to the brim. This is not the case this year. In fact, this will be the first contraction in the fourth quarter that we will record in decades. While the contraction is expected to be lower than the second and third quarters, it is not necessarily going to be slower. The storms in the last week of October and November have caused considerable damage to agriculture and infrastructure, creating a huge void in economic activities in many regions in the country. We estimate that our fourth quarter contraction will be close to double digits. Because of that the full year contraction will also be around -10 percent. Our OFWs have served as our main offense and defense amid global and domestic economic crises in the past. Their remittances sent home have created various opportunities within the country and abroad and have helped improve economic activity beyond the capital. In a way, they are instrumental in spreading urbanization in many regional centers and even provincial capital. Remittances roughly represent about 10 percent of our GDP and are multiplied in consumption creating demand for education, housing and consumer goods. These have recently been muted by the pandemic. Overall consumption has been contracting due to a combination of the lockdowns, weak confidence and lost of jobs. This will remain to be the story for this fourth quarter albeit a bit slower than previous quarters. Even if the remittances have been observed to be increasing in the last few months, it is likely attributable to people sending more money due to the appreciating peso, OFWs delaying remittances due to lockdowns and OFWs returning for good and sending their international savings. This will remain to be the source of the flow in the coming months. It should be noted, however, that the number of OFWs that have been sent home by the pandemic has already breached 300,000. There are probably more who are still waiting to be repatriated in different places,
Pascual. . .
continued from A10
the Philippines, we are still in the first wave of the pandemic. Even if we don’t have the same capacity to reserve vaccines unlike other wealthy countries, our government could have taken prompt action, including mass testing. Our current situation is reflected in what our government has prioritized. Brothers and sisters, it is said in the Catholic social teaching Gaudium et Spes our complicated situation right now seeks for action the government must fulfill to strengthen the conditions in helping the people
unable to adapt to job opportunities abroad or are simply sent back home by employers who no longer are able to operate their business profitably. The job losses are particularly high in industries related to travel and tourism and to a certain extent, retail trade. Manufacturing, while experiencing some recovery, are still hampered by global value chain connections since many countries are experiencing waves of the pandemic in different timings. These mean that OFWs remaining abroad will continue to be at risk in the coming year. Meanwhile, official data of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) says that as of October, the total number of OFWs deployed roughly totaled 700,000—a 60 percent drop from the same period last year. This is the lowest deployment since 1996. If we are to account for those who were repatriated, we can assume a net deployment of about 350,000. Even with the opening up of health worker deployment, that will still be not enough to cover the sectors that have limited worker demand. Hence, many of the workers who are home for the holidays may be here for extended ones. The challenge is our own internal labor market is also facing downsizing. The latest round of the Labor Force Survey showed that overall labor force shrunk by 6 percent compared to a year ago as many industries continue to be downsizing. This will most likely continue in 2021 as firms and businesses, especially the small and non-digital, decide to fully implement full-scale operational adjustments that could lead to redundancies. It is therefore imperative for the government, firms and workers to work together in preparing the work force for retraining and reskilling, insurance, entrepreneurship support that can address confidence issues both of business and consumers. While we want people to be home for the holidays, we want that to be temporary—whether here or abroad—we all need to go back confidently into the economy so that we can continue to be looking forward to going home and not staying at home for long periods of time. The Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development wishes everyone a safe and blessed Christmas and hopeful for our economic engines to confidently move faster in 2021. achieve their total well-being. In the current crisis, the government should have prepared a medical solution for a medical problem. This depends on great leaders. As said in the letter of St. Paul to the Romans, “If it is encouraging, encouraging. When you give, you should give generously from the heart; if you are put in charge, you must be conscientious; if you do works of mercy, let it be because you enjoy doing them.” Make it a habit to listen to Radio Veritas 846 Ang Radyo ng Simbahan in the AM band, or through live streaming at www.veritas846.ph, and follow its Twitter and Instagram accounts @veritasph, and YouTube at veritas846.ph. For your comments, e-mail veritas846pr@gmail.com.
Friday, December 18, 2020 A11
annotations
T
here is one difficult question being asked online and it is whether Christmas will push through this year. The complexity and difficulty of the question lie in the fact that no one can stop Christmas. There is the present pandemic and there is also the fear of the second or, in the case of some places, third wave of infection. The question, for all its intensity, does not have the angst of other questions, like, “who am I?” or “what is the meaning of life?” It is an inquisition that packs the lightness of banter. The query is aimed at a feast that has long been considered to be Filipino in character if nature of festivals is considered. Christmas, after all, in this country, is extended, broad, and exaggerated. For one, December is not the only default month for Christmas; there is also November, when the decorations begin to sprout from walls and gardens of homes and villages. You can even push the events back farther to October and September when Christmas songs are played over the radio, in malls, in parks. Is it my wild imagining that Christmas songs are not really played this year? If there is a winning sign of the season, it is the Christmas tree that seems to have survived the depression brought about by the virus. In my home, the Christmas tree was up in the beginning of December. Its lights were up soon and, at night, they flicker to give out the light that we feel should be the symbol of Christmas. Filipinos are big with Christmas trees. We know how to dress bamboo twigs and driftwood and transform them into a fantasyland of silver, red and golden balls. Birds are gilded and are caught in flight by strand of pearls and, always, we manage to save the
biggest star to crown the tree. How did this tree become so popular that no pandemic can ever stop its display? In my grandparents’ home, as a child, the tree was the beginning of our imagination of Christmas. I remember the last Christmas before we moved to the big city. A huge guava tree was selected as the base for our collective artistry. The twigs and branches were soaked in soap and the little ones were charged with scraping the barks off to produce a clean, white tree. We were actively helping but we did not know what would happen to the tree. An aunt was busy in the kitchen with big tubs of warm water and detergent. She dropped salt into the vessel and whisked the contents like a mad elf. Soon, the tub was covered with what looked like moist cotton blooms. By this time, the tree had been set up, its lower part nailed onto a green plywood. Strings of thin beads in colors that we saw only in the foreign catalogue of dresses and other commodities my grandmother referred to were spun around the twigs and branches of the onceguava tree now looking regal. Then the aunt with the tub came out from the kitchen, walked as if she was to minister the kiss of enchantment on the tree. Without a smile on her lips, she started slapping against the tree the white blobs, sometimes flicking off here and there the tender white substances.
It was sunny outside, in this tropical island, inside, in our living room, winter had come and turned the guava tree into a winter wonderland. That was the first time we experienced snow—the sweetest smelling snowflakes in the world. In the big city, I became the teacher’s favorite when I begged my father to make a Nativity Scene for our class one Christmas. There was a competition for the best Belen and we all wanted to win. From scraps of carton disassembled from cigarette boxes, my father produced a canvas that could fill the entire wall. For a week, after office hours, my father would paint figures of different dimensions. He told me they were the Three Kings. I wondered why they were not made in the same way: one was big, the other medium, and the third, quite small. One of them had his hand stretched, his forefinger pointing to something in the distance.
The HMO in the age of pandemic Manny F. Dooc
TELLTALES
I
currently sit on the board of Insular Health Care, Inc. (IHC). I accepted the position almost three years after I had left my post as the Insurance Commissioner, the principal regulator of the HMOs in the country, in 2016. A year before, then President Benigno Aquino III transferred the regulation and supervision of the HMO industry from the Department of Health to the Insurance Commission by virtue of Executive Order 192 signed on November 12, 2015. Since the Department of Health was not a financial regulator, there was hardly any regulation of the HMO industry. There were widespread complaints of fraud and other deceptive practices, which had tarnished the reputation of the industry. The EO, among others, was issued to ensure that industry players are adequately capitalized, duly registered and licensed and that every HMO is solvent to meet the claims of its members and other liabilities. The HMO industry is imbued with public interest and its conduct of business and operations must be strictly regulated and supervised to guarantee the protection of its members. At no time is the critical role of the HMO industry placed to an acid test than during this period of pandemic. Many industries are essential but the HMOs as a frontline organization to safeguard the health of their covered members is unique. While an epidemic or pandemic is expressly excluded in the typical HMO contract of coverage, practically the industry has voluntarily covered Covid-19 illness and deaths mostly on ex-gratia basis out of a sense of moral obligation, goodwill or humanitarian grounds. Even under the most difficult circumstances, HMO employees, particularly those involved in claims processing, work around the clock to resolve cases without any undue delay. Since the pandemic erupted there has been an increase in out-patient consultations and the practice
of telemedicine has gained substantially resulting in higher utilization of services. There is no question that the Philippine HMO industry has finally arrived and is now considered as a solid and dependable partner in securing the health and medical care of our people. Congratulations to the Association of Health Maintenance Organization of the Philippines and all other industry players who are non-members of the association. IHC is the Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) subsidiary of Insular Life. It is one of the Philippines’ most innovative and fastest growing HMOs providing healthcare coverage to individuals and families and to employees of MSMEs and companies through employer sponsored plans. In 2020 alone, there were two major disruptive events that had se-
vere impact on public health and the economy—the Taal Volcano eruption and the coronavirus pandemic. As in the past catastrophes, IHC has adequately responded to them. In confronting the pandemic, its digital capabilities came to the fore and thanks to the vision of its leaders that had embarked on digital transformation three years ago. Led by two formidable women who are champions of gender equality, Ms. Nina Aguas, Chairman of IHC, and Ms. Maria Noemi Azura, President & CEO of IHC, the company decided that technology will be an important element of its growth strategy. It modernized its core system, which allows IHC uninterrupted client service to its members and customers and assures business continuity during the extended lockdown. IHC’s services are readily available at a time when they are needed the most. Stable and reliable healthcare service delivery is very critical during this time of pandemic and IHC has not failed the HMO community. Its wide network of digital customer service channels includes telehealth service, call center and payment portal with extensive partner network. Through its Customer Experience Dashboard, IHC regularly measures and monitors its service levels to guarantee that quality service is maintained throughout this difficult period. Noting its resilient and sustainable response to the pandemic, the International Finance Corporation has featured IHC and Ms. Azura on their Facebook and LinkedIn pages in May this year. It highlighted how leaders can effectively cope with overwhelming change and challenges. It was followed by the Asia CEO Awards Circle of Excellence for Executive Leadership Team of the Year given this October. Only last month, IHC won the Inspirational Brand of the Year Award in the Healthcare,
When the tableau was finished, I saw what Papa had done: he had painted the three wise men from different points—one was closer to the foreground, the next behind the big king, and the third the smallest because he was far from the two. They were following the light of the Star. No crib was needed, my father said. Instead of the usual crèche, he crafted a golden shaft of light emanating from the star made of metallic paper. It was not really a star but a comet, its tail pointing down to the birth of that unusual infant in the manger. “You just needed that, a light to show the way to the wise men who knew anyway what was happening,” my father convinced me. I do not remember if we won. What I do recall was the look on the faces of my classmates as I unfolded Papa’s masterpiece before their eyes and the eyes of the teacher.
E-mail: titovaliente@yahoo.com
Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industry at the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards, based in Singapore and Malaysia. These accolades demonstrate that a Filipino company can exceed customers’ expectations and excel in a highly competitive healthcare industry. Ms. Azura’s solid track record in business transformation, sales and distribution, audit and compliance in banking and managed care has served her in good stead. She held senior leadership roles at Citibank, American Express and Australia New Zealand Bank, which brought her job assignments abroad. Expect more from this remarkable lady who copped the Distinguished Alumna Award for 2018 from the UP Virata School of Business. Another prominent and extraordinary woman, Chairman Nina Aguas admitted in her Christmas message to the Insular Life and IHC employees and agency forces that 2020 “is a year of overwhelming challenges and not one for the faint-hearted. What is not lost on me is how many were asked to share their jobs, for reduced pay or completely lost their jobs and livelihood as businesses closed… We continue to lead and defend Insular Life and our businesses in the face of an economic contraction and financial strain that all businesses face not just in our country but globally…. Generating profit is of course important…but our purpose does not end there…. Our focus is on the difference we make in the broader society. Especially, at a time like this.” Yes, the IHC and the entire HMO industry have valiantly answered the call to ease the pain and suffering of our people amid this unprecedented health crisis. I’m certain that our grateful nation shall not forget the HMOs’ invaluable services to the Filipinos at this critical juncture of our history.
CMMA CELEBRATES 42nd YEAR
D
151 entries make it to the list of finalists in the 42nd CMMA
espite the global health crisis that the world is facing today, the Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA) has received overwhelming support from individuals and institutions who submitted their entries for consideration this year. The CMMA was established in 1978 by the late Jaime L. Cardinal Sin, then Archbishop of Manila, as the means by which the Church pays tribute to those who “serve God by means of the mass media.” As it marks its 42nd year, the CMMA lists 151 finalists, which were drawn from a total of 304 entries
in 35 mass media categories received by the CMMA Secretariat at the CMMA offices at the Dominga Bldg. on Chino Roces St., Makati City. The entries were carefully assessed by 39 individuals that make up the panels of judges for the different categories in the mass media fields of print, radio, television, music, advertising, the Internet and the Student CMMA. The CMMA judges are chosen by the board of trustees and confirmed by the Archbishop of Manila. They include communication professionals, academicians, civic and religious leaders and members
of the clergy, who are named for their integrity, competence and impartiality. The winners of the 42nd CMMA will be revealed during the telecast of the Awards Presentation on CNN Philippines on December 19, 2020, Saturday, at 10 pm. The theme for this year’s CMMA is “So that you may tell your children and grandchildren’’ (Ex 10:2). Life becomes history, based on the message of Pope Francis for the 54th World Communications Day last May 24. Following is the complete list of the CMMA finalists:
2020 cmma finalists STUDENT CMMA BEST STUDENT ORGAN-GRADE SCHOOL n THE ESTOILE GRADE SCHOOL—ST. EDWARD SCHOOL n LUNTIANG PANULAT—LA SALLE GREEN HILLS n HASIK—LA SALLE GREEN HILLS n GAT. PEPE—DR. JOSE P. RIZAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL n FRESH INK—COLUMBAN COLLEGE BARRETTO n ANG MUNTING PLUMA—COLUMBAN COLLEGE BARRETTO BEST STUDENT ORGAN - HIGH SCHOOL n THE POLE—WESTERN BICUTAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL n ANG PAGLALAYAG—SCHOOL OF ST. ANTHONY, QUEZON CITY n SILICA—ROXAS NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL BEST STUDENT ORGAN-COLLEGE n THE CVSU-NEXUS TABLOID—CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY CAVITE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND TRADES CAMPUS n MAGASIN-PIECE—LYCEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES UNIVERSITY-BATANGAS n THE BARRISTER-RED INK (PADAGOS)—SAN BEDA UNIVERSITY - COLLEGE OF LAW n THE CSU COMMUNICATOR—CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY n BENILDEAN PRESS CORPS—DE LA SALLE-COLLEGE OF SAINT BENILDE BEST TV PRODUCTION MINSAN SA ISANG BUWAN—UST ANGELICUM COLLEGE n FAMILY PICTURE—UST ANGELICUM COLLEGE n PAGASA SA PAGBASA—UST ANGELICUM COLLEGE n ANG HIMALA SA KAMAY NG DAANG TAO—ALAMINOS CITY NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL n NINGAS-KUGON—COLEGIO DE SAN JUAN DE LETRAN n BESPREN NG MASA—COLEGIO DE SAN JUAN DE LETRAN n ISLA SA SIYUDAD—COLEGIO DE SAN JUAN DE LETRAN BEST SHORT FILM n SA GITNA NG PANDEMYA—UST ANGELICUM COLLEGE n YAPAK: IISANG TINAHAK ANG LANDAS SA PANANAMPALATAYA—DE LA SALLE COLLEGE OF SAINT BENILDE n ARAW NG MGA INA—DE LA SALLE - COLLEGE OF SAINT BENILDE BEST PUBLIC SERVICE TV AD n GENERATION C—COLUMBAN COLLEGE BARRETTO n LOLA KARITON—COLEGIO DE SAN JUAN DE LETRAN n TUWING UMUULAN—FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY - MANILA n DIGNITY NOT FOR SALE—FIRST ASIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY & HUMANITIES n THE GIFT—FIRST ASIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY & HUMANITIES BEST PUBLIC SERVICE RADIO AD n TAMMY—UST ANGELICUM COLLEGE n 2020 NA—ADAMSON UNIVERSITY n MISS UNIVERSE—UST ANGELICUM COLLEGE n MAKE UP TUTORIAL—UST ANGELICUM COLLEGE n OUR FATHER—COLLEGE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT MANILA n TAGU-TAGUAN—COLLEGE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT MANILA n IT’S TIME TO LET YOU GO—COLLEGE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT MANILA n NAGKAKAISANG BAYAN—FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY - MANILA BEST PUBLIC SERVICE PRINT AD n OO! PWDE P.W.D KAMI—UST ANGELICUM COLLEGE n BUCKET LIST OF BIBLE VERSES—UST ANGELICUM COLLEGE n DIRECTION—UST ANGELICUM COLLEGE n THIS ABLED—FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY - MANILA PRINT BEST NEWS PHOTOGRAPH n SAD DAY AT HAPPYLAND—JANSEN ROMERO / MANILA BULLETIN n HAPPY ENDING—ALVIN KASIBAN / MANILA BULLETIN n SUPPORT FROM FRONTLINERS—JANSEN ROMERO / MANILA BULLETIN n LIFE LESSONS—RICHARD A. REYES / PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER n FACE VALUE—LYN RILLON / PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER n MUST MAKE ROOM—LYN RILLON / PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER n RAPID ESCALATION—REMAR A. ZAMORA / PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER BEST EDITORIAL CARTOON n A GLOBAL PRAYER FOR THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC—PAUL ROCA / MANILA BULLETIN n INTIMIDATION—STEPHANIE BRAVO-SEMILLA / PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER n BLOODY BROTHERHOOD—ALBERT G. RODRIGUEZ / PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER n DOUBLE DANGER—ALBERT G. RODRIGUEZ / PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER BEST OPINION COLUMN n ANG INYONG LINGKOD—DR. HILDA C. ONG / REMATE NEWS CENTRAL n DEFENDING THE MOST DEFENSELESS—TONY MAGLIANO / WORLD MISSION n
SPONSORED BY:
BEST COUNSELING PROGRAM n GABAY SA BIBLIYA SA RADYO—RADYO VERITAS / SHEPHERD’S VOICE RADIO AND TV FOUNDATION n RECUERDOS DELA VIDA—DZGR / BOMBO RADYO TUGUEGARAO n KAHAPON LAMANG—DYWB / BOMBO RADYO BACOLOD BEST SPECIAL FEATURE n NUMBER OF ABANDONED ELDERLY RISING: ABANDONED BY THEIR CHILDREN, n PINOY MD SA DOBOL B—SUPER RADYO DZBB 594 / GMA NETWORK, INC. n KAHAPON LAMANG—DYFM / BOMBO RADYO ILOILO SENIORS FIND NEW HOME—ADOR VINCENT MAYOL / PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER n AMAZING JOURNEY TO RECOVERY—ERIC MICHAEL SANTOS / WORLD MISSION n PASSING ON THE FAITH TO THE YOUNG—ARCHBISHOP GILBERT GARCERA / WORLD MISSION BEST NEWS COMMENTARY n GIVE THANKS AND PRAISE—FR. TITO CALUAG / ABS-CBN BOOKS n BALINTATAW SUNDAY TALAKAYAN—DZRH / MANILA BROADCASTING COMPANY n COPING WITH COVID-19—KARLSTON LAPNITEN & THE INQUIRER BUREAUS n SAKSI SA DOBOL B—SUPER RADYO DZBB 594 / GMA NETWORK, INC. n COVID-19 SPECIAL COVERAGE—SUPER RADYO DZBB 594 / GMA NETWORK, INC. PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER n WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING—JHESSET O. ENANO / PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER n DOBOL A SA DOBOL B—SUPER RADYO DZBB 594 / GMA NETWORK, INC. n BOMBO HANAY BIGTIME—DZWX / BOMBO RADYO BAGUIO BEST COMIC STORY n GABAY NI LOLA—ORLY AQUINO / THE BREAD BASKET BEST NEWS PROGRAM n ANG HANGAL NA ISKOLAR—AMMI C. SOLMERIN / THE BREAD BASKET n DOSTv SA RADYO—RADYO PILIPINAS 738KHZ n ANG TUSONG ALKALDE AT ANG MAPARAANG KURA PAROKO—AMMI C. SOLMERIN n BOMBO NEWS AND VIEWS AM EDITION—DXMC BOMBO RADYO KORONADAL n SUPER BALITA SA UMAGA, NATIONWIDE—SUPER RADYO DZBB 594 / GMA NETWORK, INC. THE BREAD BASKET n NAIIBANG VIRAL—ORLY AQUINO / THE BREAD BASKET n SUPER BALITA SA TANGHALI, NATIONWIDE—SUPER RADYO DZBB 594 / GMA NETWORK, INC. n ANG PAGLAYA NG BILANGGO—ORLY AQUINO / THE BREAD BASKET n BOMBO NEWS AND VIEWS AFTERNOON EDITION—BOMBO RADYO TACLOBAN n HIGIT PA SA DROGA—JOMAR DELA PAZ / NEW CITY MAGAZINE TELEVISION INTERNET BEST ADULT EDUCATIONAL / CULTURAL PROGRAM n SAGISAG SA KULTURA TV—PTV 4 BEST WEBSITE n www.feast.ph—SHEPHERDS VOICE RADIO AND TV FOUNDATION, INC. n PUBLIC EYE—PTV 4 n pinsoflight.net— FR. JOHNNY GO, SJ / PINS OF LIGHT n THE NEW NORMAL—PTV 4 n dominusest.ph—STARDUST PUBLISHING n IDOL SA KUSINA—GMA 7 n www.phjesuits.org—PHILIPPINE JESUIT AID ASSOCIATION, INC. n BORN TO BE WILD—GMA 7 n BRIGADA—GMA NEWS TV CH. 27 n I-WITNESS—GMA 7 ADVERTISING BEST DIGITAL AD - BRANDED n TAPANG NA TUNAY—GINEBRA SAN MIGUEL, INC / ASPAC / DENTSU ONE BEST CHILDREN AND YOUTH PROGRAM n MANILAMED PARA SA MANILEÑO—MANILAMED - MEDICAL CENTER MANILA, INC. n ISKOOLMATES—PTV 4 n DAIG KAYO NG LOLA KO—GMA 7 BEST DIGITAL AD - PUBLIC SERVICE n KUNG PAANO MAGING ISANG INA—MANILA BULLETIN PUBLISHING CORPORATION BEST SPECIAL EVENT COVERAGE n PATAWAD—MANILA BULLETIN PUBLISHING CORPORATION n THE VERDICT: THE MAGUINDANAO MASSACRE CASE—PTV 4 n ONE NEWS NOW: QUARANTINE IN LUZON—ONE NEWS/ CIGNAL TV n BALITANGHALI: TAAL VOLCANO ERUPTION—GMA NEWS TV CH 27 BEST TV AD - PUBLIC SERVICE n KAPUSO BARANGAYAN ON WHEELS—GMA REGIONAL TV n HALA BIRA: THE ONE WESTERN VISAYAS SPECIAL LIVE COVERAGE—GMA REGIONAL TV, WESTERN VISAYAS MUSIC BEST INSPIRATIONAL SONG BEST NEWS MAGAZINE n TRUST IN YOU—KIM PAGUIO / SHEPHERDS VOICE RADIO AND TV FOUNDATION, INC. n ISKOOLMATES—PTV 4 n I’MPOSSIBLE—ALVIN BARCELONA / POLYEAST RECORDS n DOSTv: SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE—PTV 4 n MAGING KATULAD MO—HANGAD / JESUIT COMMUNICATIONS FOUNDATION, INC. n INVESTIGATIVE DOCUMENTARIES—GMA NEWS TV CH. 27 n NASAAN KA—DINDO CHAVEZ / SOUTH SIDE STUDIO n BYAHENG DO30—GMA REGIONAL TV, DAVAO n WALANG IWANAN—TOTO SORIOSO / BOMBO RADYO PHILIPPINES n GMA REGIONAL TV LIVE—GMA REGIONAL TV, CENTRAL & EASTERN VISAYAS n GINTO ANG SANDALI—ALISAH BONAOBRA / RJA PRODUCTIONS, LLC n AT HOME WITH REGIONAL TV—GMA REGIONAL TV, MINDANAO BEST MUSIC VIDEO BEST PUBLIC SERVICE PROGRAM n TRUST IN YOU RENEWED—KIM PAGUIO / SHEPHERDS VOICE RADIO AND TV FOUNDATION, INC. n ALAGANG KAPATID SA TV5—TV 5 n SALAMAT MARIA—CHRISTOPHER AVENDANO / DOMINICAN PROVINCE OF THE PHILIPPINES n DIGONG 8888 HOTLINE—PTV 4 n ILILIGTAS KA NIYA—ALL STAR CAST / STAR MUSIC n REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK—GMA 7 n BAGONG UMAGA—AGSUNTA / STAR MUSIC (DNA RECORDS) n I-WITNESS—GMA 7 n BYAHENG DO30—GMA REGIONAL TV, DAVAO BEST SECULAR SONG n BAGONG UMAGA—AGSUNTA / STAR MUSIC BEST DRAMA SERIES/PROGRAM n PINAKAMAMAHAL KONG BAYAN—JONATHAN S. MANALO / STAR MUSIC n THE GIFT—GMA 7 n PASKO NA CAGAYANO—CAGAYANO ARTISTS / PRAISE INCORPORATED n MAGPAKAILANMAN—GMA 7 RADIO BEST NEWS PROGRAM n AKSYON—TV 5 BEST NEWS FEATURE n BOMBO SPECIAL REPORT—DYFM BOMBO RADYO ILOILO n STATE OF THE NATION WITH JESSICA SOHO—GMA NEWS TV CH. 27 n STAR FM FEATURE STORIES: PISTA NG ITIM NA NAZARENO—102.7 STAR FM MANILA n SAKSI—GMA 7 n GMA REGIONAL TV WEEKEND NEWS—GMA REGIONAL TV BOMBO RADYO PHILIPPINES n STAR FM FEATURE STORIES: PEOPLE LIVING WITH HOPE—102.7 STAR FM MANILA BOMBO RADYO PHILIPPINES BEST TV SPECIAL n FEAST OF SAINT LORENZO RUIZ—DZWX BOMBO RADYO BAGUIO n PAPURI: THE TIPLES DE SANTO DOMINGO CHRISTMAS CONCERT—RJTV 29 n TOP OF THE HOUR NEWS—STAR FM ROXAS / BOMBO RADYO PHILIPPINES DOMINICAN PROVINCE OF THE PHILIPPINES n SIETE PALABRAS 2020—GMA 7 / DOMINICAN PROVINCE OF THE PHILIPPINES n ISANG DEKADANG HINAGPIS—PTV 4 BEST PUBLIC SERVICE PROGRAM n DZRH RADYO BALINTATAW—DZRH / MANILA BROADCASTING COMPANY n THE ATOM ARAULLO SPECIALS—GMA 7 n BOMBO LIFESTYLE—DYFM / BOMBO RADYO ILOILO n KAY SUSAN TAYO SA SUPER RADYO DZ DOBOL B—SUPER RADYO DZBB 594 / GMA NETWORK, INC. BEST STATION ID n IM READY DZBB—SUPER RADYO DZBB 594 / GMA NETWORK, INC. n SAMA-SAMA SA SEA GAMES STATION ID—TV 5 n GMA REGIONAL TV WEEKEND NEWS STATION ID—GMA REGIONAL TV n n
GET REAL—SOLITA COLLAS-MONSOD / PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER NEWSSTAND—JOHN NERY / PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
www.businessmirror.com.ph
BusinessMirror
Friday, December 18, 2020 A13
A14 Friday, December 18, 2020
BusinessMirror
www.businessmirror.com.ph
www.businessmirror.com.ph
BusinessMirror
Friday, December 18, 2020 A15
A16 Friday, December 18, 2020
BusinessMirror
www.businessmirror.com.ph
www.businessmirror.com.ph
BusinessMirror
Friday, December 18, 2020 A17
A18 Friday, December 18, 2020
BusinessMirror
www.businessmirror.com.ph
www.businessmirror.com.ph
BusinessMirror
Friday, December 18, 2020 A19
A20 Friday, December 18, 2020
BusinessMirror
www.businessmirror.com.ph
www.businessmirror.com.ph
BusinessMirror
Friday, December 18, 2020 A21
A22 Friday, December 18, 2020
BusinessMirror
www.businessmirror.com.ph
www.businessmirror.com.ph
BusinessMirror
Friday, December 18, 2020 A23
A24 Friday, December 18, 2020
BusinessMirror
www.businessmirror.com.ph
www.businessmirror.com.ph
BusinessMirror
Friday, December 18, 2020 A25
A26 Friday, December 18, 2020
BusinessMirror
www.businessmirror.com.ph
www.businessmirror.com.ph
BusinessMirror
Friday, December 18, 2020 A27
A28 Friday, December 18, 2020
BusinessMirror
www.businessmirror.com.ph
www.businessmirror.com.ph
BusinessMirror
Friday, December 18, 2020 A29
A30 Friday, December 18, 2020
BusinessMirror
www.businessmirror.com.ph
www.businessmirror.com.ph
BusinessMirror
Friday, December 18, 2020 A31
A32 Friday, December 18, 2020
BusinessMirror
www.businessmirror.com.ph
Companies BusinessMirror
www.businessmirror.com.ph
AC Energy readies funds for solar, wind projects
T
By Lenie Lectura
@llectura
HE Board of Directors of AC Energy Philippines (ACEN) has approved financing for solar and wind power projects worth P10.81 billion. The company told the Philippine Stock Exchange that approval for the two power projects was secured during a board meeting. AC Energy will construct a 75-megawatt (MW) solar power facility in Arayat and Mexico, Pampanga, through a secured loan for 100 percent of the total project cost amounting to P3.33 billion. The facility is expected to start its power generation in the
fourth quarter of 2021, and is ACEN’s joint venture with Citicore Renewable Energy Corporation, with a 50-percent economic ownership. The Board also approved financing for a wind farm project to be built in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte for up to 70 percent of the total project cost amounting to up to P7.48 billion. The company earlier said it
will put up 500MW of renewable energy (RE) projects next year. “We have 180 MW under construction of renewable energy and as I mentioned, in the next 12 months we expect to add to that, to start the construction of another 500-MW in the Philippines,” said AC Energy President Eric Francia. “The power plants should be ready by 2023 because we believe by 2023 or 2024 incremental demand will come back." In November, the energy platform of conglomerate Ayala Corp. said it expects to achieve half of its target RE capacity of 5,000MW by next year. “The plan is to scale up our RE to 5,000MW or even more. We are feeling confident that we will exceed our RE target. Next year, we expect our RE to reach 2,500MW. So, we expect to be halfway through our 2025 target
as early as 2021,” said Francia. Of the 2,500MW target, Francia said 1,500MW of RE projects are lined up next year. “We have 1,500MW worth of projects in the region including Philippines [500MW], Australia [500MW] and the remaining 500MW in India and Vietnam." ACEN aspires to be the largest listed renewables platform in Southeast Asia, with the goal of reaching 5,000 MW of renewables capacity by 2025. “Basically, we are very much prepared. We are prepared in our balance sheet and cash that’s why we’re active in the capital market because we really want to be prepared. We’re really very bullish about the energy transition. We’d like to play a leading role in energy transition, particularly towards shifting to RE technologies,” said Francia.
viewed by the agency. “Seventeen bidders were represented by their authorized representatives while one bidder advised the secretariat that they would not be participating in the pre-bid conference,” he added. "The TPBAC thanked the bidders for their active participation in the pre-bid conference, which had to be conducted virtually in consideration of the prevailing circumstances." The 18 EOIs were submitted by several power firms that offered capacity totaling 6,050MW, utilizing a variety of technologies. “The bidders have until December 24 to submit additional
queries to the TPBAC’s responses to their original queries. The next step is the bid submission on January 25, 2021,” added Fernandez. Among the power firms that have verbally indicated their interest to participate in the CSP in the past are Atimonan One Energy, Inc. (A1E), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen); San Miguel Corp.’s power unit; Consunji-led Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC); Aboitiz Power Corp.; and possibly AC Energy. The winning bidders will secure a 20-year power supply agreement (PSA) with Meralco. Lenie Lectura
Meralco has received a total of 18 Expressions of Interest (EOIs) to join the competitive action. It refused to divulge the bidders’ identities. A pre-bid conference was held on Thursday afternoon. TPBAC members led by the captive customer representatives Chairman Ferdinand Domingo and former Trade Secretary Adrian Cristobal Jr. were present. The Department of Energy (DOE) sent an observer while the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) declined to send observers because the power supply agreements that will result from any CSP would still have to be re-
PAL offers free Covid-19 test for OFWs from Mideast
SEC draft memo requires capital market players to boost IT systems
F
LAG carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) offers free reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests upon arrival for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) flying home from the Middle East from December 21 to 31. Land-based OFWs and their dependents departing from Dubai, Doha, Dammam, and Riyadh, and Bahrain may avail of PAL's own One-Stop Shop (OSS) facility for their complimentary RT-PCR tests upon arrival. The 24-hour turnaround time for the RT-PCR tests leads to shorter quarantine isolation period of no more than one night, as compared to the average of 2 to 5 days in other testing centers. PAL is offering this special holiday privilege exclusively for OFWs and their dependents as a way of thanking the country's modern-day heroes. "The quick release of results, within 24 hours, will allow our modern-day heroes to maximize the time spent with their families during the Christmas and New Year season," said PAL Spokesperson Cielo Villaluna. The Philippine government through the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration will continue to handle the quarantine hotel accommodations of all arriving OFWs. To avail of the free test, passengers on these flights must register to PAL’s electronic Case Investigation Form (eCIF) as early as 3 days before departure at https:// bit.ly/MNLPALeCIF. The PAL OSS facility at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 is operated under a partnership with DOH-accredited Detoxicare Molecular Diagnostics. Recto L. Mercene
By VG Cabuag @villygc
T
HE Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is requiring all publicly-listed companies, the exchanges and other capital market participants, such as brokers, to strengthen their cyber security measures. In its draft memorandum, the SEC is calling on trading market participants, including brokerdealers, assets managers, transfer agents and self-regulatory organizations, such as the Philippine Stock Exchange to create a department called information security group that will be headed by a senior officer called Chief Information Security Officer or CISO. “The InfoSec Group shall be primarily responsible in developing a comprehensive workforce strategy to enhance the readiness, capacity, training, recruitment, and retention of the cybersecurity workforce of the Regulated Entity,” according to the draft memorandum that is still open for public comments until the end of next month. Once approved, failure to comply with the rules will result in imposition of administrative sanctions, in addition to those already provided by law and other existing regulations. The Infosec group will take charge of formulating and enforcing an enterprise information security policy, issue-specific secu-
BUSINESSMIRROR FILE PHOTO
rity policies and system-specific policies, along with an employee security education, training and awareness program, risk management program, and contingency programs. Regulated entities must implement policies and procedures that will protect the privacy of their clients’ personal information, and notify them of instances when failure to protect such information occurs. There will be a regular review of their systems and the results will have to be submitted to the SEC, as frequent as may be deemed necessary. Listed firms, meanwhile, are required to make a full, accurate
and timely disclosure of financial results, risk and other information which are material to investors’ decisions. Risk factors, such as reasons why the issuer is subject to cyber risk, as well as the source and nature of the cyber risk, must also be disclosed in the listed firm’s registration statement. The exchanges, and other entities with a secondary license from the SEC, including brokers and dealers, exchanges, transfer agents, clearing agencies and securities depositories, are directed to work together with the SEC to protect investor privacy and strengthen trading systems’ infrastructure.
B1
Fate of telcos could be decided in 2021 By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla
P
RESIDENT Duterte’s decision on whether to nationalize the local telecommunications (telco) sector may come out next year. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has opted to give telcos up to the end of the month before it conducts a final evaluation of their performance. “So they will be given the time to construct [their telecommunication] towers then they [NTC] will evaluate,” Roque said in an online press briefing on Thursday. He said the NTC report will then be submitted to the Office of President for consideration. During his State of the Nation Address last July, Duterte warned telcos he will nationalize the sector if they will fail to improve their services by December. Based on its initial report, NTC said it was able to observe significant improvements in the internet services of telcos in the last five months. It attributed this to the streamlining of the
permit issuances of telcos to construct new communication towers and installing more fiber optic cables. Malacañang recognized the said improvements, but it noted it was still far from the quality of services of telcos in the country's neighboring Asian nations like South Korea, Vietnam and Thailand. NTC issued its report after Malacañang said the agency should determine if the faster processing of permits for the construction of telecommunication towers translated into better communication services for consumers. Smart and Globe attributed their poor service in some parts of the country to the slow processing by local government units of their permits to build new telecommunication towers. This, they noted, greatly limited the number of towers they are able to build nationwide. To address this concern, Duterte ordered the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Anti-Red Tape Authority, Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Information and Communications to remove red tape in the permit issuance for telecommunication towers.
Fernando Zobel de Ayala is CEO of Ayala Corp. starting April 2021
Bidders air concerns on Meralco CSP F I NTERESTED bidders for the upcoming Competitive Selection Process (CSP) to supply the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) 1,800 megawatts (MW) of power convened late Thursday to discuss their concerns. “There were a variety of concerns, touching on the terms of reference, the PSA [power supply agreement] template and many others. The Third Party Bids and Awards Committee (TPBAC) will be releasing a Bid Bulletin next week containing written responses to all queries submitted by all bidders,” said Meralco utility economics head Lawrence Fernandez in a text message.
Friday, December 18, 2020
ERNANDO ZOBEL DE AYALA will become president and CEO of conglomerate Ayala Corp. starting April 2021, as his older brother Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala will focus on his role as chairman of the company. The announcement is part of a series of top-level management changes that the company does on a regular basis. “Jaime Augusto and Fernando Zobel de Ayala will retain all their current positions, as chairman or vice chairman, in the various subsidiary boards of the Ayala group of companies,” the company said in a statement. The changes will take effect after the company's stockholders' meeting on April 23, 2021. “At Ayala, it is our leaders’ responsibility
to nurture talent and plan paths of succession. In this regard, I see myself as no different from our leaders past and present,” Jaime Augusto said. “Fernando and I are very fortunate to work with a deep leadership bench; and we are confident that planned leadership transitions such as this are critical ingredients for sustainable success. Moreover, we have the opportunity, with this move of decoupling the chairman and CEO roles, to reflect an evolving global best practice in environment, social and corporate governance." He said Fernando has provided leadership across the Ayala group companies for more than two decades. VG Cabuag
B2
Companies BusinessMirror
Friday, December 18, 2020
PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS
December 17, 2020
Net Foreign Stocks Bid Ask Open High Low Close Volume Value Trade (Peso) Buy (Sell) FINANCIALS
ASIA UNITED BDO UNIBANK BANK PH ISLANDS CHINABANK EAST WEST BANK METROBANK PB BANK PHIL NATL BANK PSBANK PHILTRUST RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK BRIGHT KINDLE COL FINANCIAL FERRONOUX HLDG IREMIT MEDCO HLDG MANULIFE NTL REINSURANCE PHIL STOCK EXCH SUN LIFE
45.15 45.25 46 46.1 45.05 45.15 114.2 114.9 114.8 114.9 113.5 114.9 82.1 82.8 82.6 82.8 81.85 82.8 25.6 25.9 25.8 25.85 25.6 25.6 11.7 11.72 11.86 11.88 11.68 11.72 49.75 49.8 50 50.2 49.65 49.8 12.86 12.98 12.52 13 12.52 12.98 30.85 30.9 31.2 31.3 30.85 30.85 53.6 53.95 53.95 53.95 53.05 53.95 100 103.9 100 100 100 100 19.26 19.44 19.48 19.5 19.22 19.26 140 141 143.7 143.7 139.7 141 70.1 70.25 70.5 71 70.1 70.1 1.08 1.1 1 1.15 1 1.1 29 29.7 29.7 29.7 28.5 29.7 4.5 4.59 4.72 4.73 4.5 4.59 2.4 - 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 0.375 0.385 0.41 0.41 0.37 0.375 800 820 800 800 800 800 0.72 0.73 0.75 0.76 0.72 0.72 154.7 155 155 155 154.5 154.7 2,030 2,044 2,000 2,044 2,000 2,030
12,400 568,785 -27,135 2,385,550 272,346,023 -7,569,207 1,933,260 159,173,886.50 -67,217,443 1,133,400 29,143,430 9,068,075 492,100 5,784,370 -2,008,260 7,160,990 357,034,224.50 -188,250,934 674,800 8,693,528 6,471,640 232,800 7,217,685 -923,710 16,580 888,729 30 3,000 18,200 352,796 40,446 1,122,920 158,149,126 -49,019,073 52,270 3,695,246.50 -636,848.50 2,244,000 2,434,660 21,800 2,200 64,810 1,281,000 5,894,340 104,960 8,812,000 21,148,800 -580,800 2,330,000 889,400 77,800 70 56,000 40,000 423,000 310,540 14,770 2,289,058 -1,652,300 160 320,740 280,000
INDUSTRIAL AC ENERGY 6.16 6.17 6.17 6.19 6.13 6.16 10,120,400 62,367,081 -3,511,816 ALSONS CONS 1.39 1.4 1.4 1.41 1.39 1.4 1,033,000 1,441,140 42,300 ABOITIZ POWER 27.4 27.7 27.9 28.2 27.4 27.4 1,863,800 52,053,310 -16,067,280 BASIC ENERGY 0.465 0.47 0.44 0.56 0.435 0.465 947,770,000 461,413,000 -15,192,500 FIRST GEN 28 28.05 27.8 28.05 27.75 28 909,400 25,329,870 -13,223,625 FIRST PHIL HLDG 77.9 78 79 79.5 78 78 210,990 16,510,267.50 -13,161,420.50 MERALCO 283.8 284 285.8 289.4 284 284 579,940 165,281,674 -107,183,098 MANILA WATER 16.14 16.2 16.2 16.2 16.02 16.2 462,400 7,446,348 -357,182 PETRON 3.98 3.99 4 4.02 3.98 3.98 3,066,000 12,238,680 -91,500 PETROENERGY 3.63 3.65 3.7 3.7 3.62 3.65 76,000 278,600 PHX PETROLEUM 12.54 12.76 12.8 12.8 12.5 12.76 68,200 859,568 PILIPINAS SHELL 22.35 22.7 22.35 22.95 22.3 22.35 738,400 16,556,360 -2,328,970 SPC POWER 10.3 10.46 10.6 10.76 10.3 10.3 550,900 5,791,978 178,268 VIVANT 14.3 14.8 14.98 15 14.3 14.8 30,100 439,094 214,500 AGRINURTURE 8.35 8.45 8.5 8.5 8.3 8.45 388,700 3,262,737 -910,836 AXELUM 3.66 3.67 3.75 3.75 3.67 3.67 1,562,000 5,767,800 73,700 CNTRL AZUCARERA 15.2 15.5 16.2 16.2 15.2 15.2 36,000 553,230 CENTURY FOOD 17.5 17.52 17.7 17.74 17.5 17.5 17,282,800 302,485,576 60,089,562 DEL MONTE 7.59 7.73 8.09 8.1 7.5 7.74 236,000 1,825,939 38,250 DNL INDUS 7.2 7.23 7.35 7.35 7.05 7.2 3,034,300 21,815,954 -6,029,670 EMPERADOR 9.99 10.04 10.02 10.04 10 10.02 6,018,600 60,286,214 6,877,530 SMC FOODANDBEV 71.35 71.5 70.7 71.5 70.2 71.5 281,160 20,054,870.50 -13,472,989.50 ALLIANCE SELECT 0.7 0.71 0.72 0.74 0.7 0.71 4,390,000 3,148,660 -7,300 FRUITAS HLDG 1.73 1.75 1.75 1.79 1.7 1.75 41,034,000 70,948,630 -511,280 GINEBRA 51.1 51.95 50.35 51.95 49.95 51.95 89,640 4,559,879 3,153,843 JOLLIBEE 206.2 206.6 208 208.2 206.2 206.2 463,650 95,944,814 -50,605,660 LIBERTY FLOUR 45.05 45.85 46.95 46.95 45 45.9 18,400 840,590 3,950 MAXS GROUP 8.15 8.17 8.15 8.27 8.15 8.15 353,800 2,905,066 10,483 MG HLDG 0.231 0.242 0.24 0.248 0.229 0.242 7,650,000 1,825,550 23,230 SHAKEYS PIZZA 8.08 8.1 8.25 8.31 8.08 8.1 954,300 7,750,271 -6,481,918.00 ROXAS AND CO 1.43 1.45 1.44 1.45 1.38 1.45 9,127,000 13,007,880 853,040 RFM CORP 4.62 4.74 4.63 4.74 4.63 4.74 12,000 55,670 ROXAS HLDG 1.8 1.85 1.84 1.92 1.76 1.8 570,000 1,040,720 SWIFT FOODS 0.13 0.132 0.133 0.133 0.13 0.13 5,200,000 680,790 5,200 UNIV ROBINA 155 157 158.5 158.5 151.5 157 1,565,040 244,700,010 31,871,649 VITARICH 1 1.01 1.04 1.05 0.99 1.01 12,798,000 12,996,340 -612,700 VICTORIAS 2.5 2.56 2.56 2.56 2.5 2.5 15,000 37,620 CONCRETE A 54 55.9 55.6 56 55.4 55.9 1,250 69,363 CONCRETE B 55 56.4 54.7 56.75 54.7 56.75 740 41,566 CEMEX HLDG 1.64 1.65 1.67 1.68 1.64 1.65 6,947,000 11,493,080 -808,510 DAVINCI CAPITAL 5.1 5.16 5.17 5.17 5.1 5.1 61,300 312,793 EAGLE CEMENT 15 15.02 15 15.02 14.98 15.02 552,400 8,289,138 5,212,320 EEI CORP 7.94 7.95 7.8 8 7.8 7.94 304,100 2,407,030 66,180 HOLCIM 7.46 7.5 7.7 7.8 7.42 7.46 1,862,400 14,040,313 -1,557,266 MEGAWIDE 8.44 8.45 8.7 8.77 8.41 8.45 8,618,300 73,856,254 996,107.00 PHINMA 9 9.55 9.6 9.6 8.65 9.6 43,600 416,515 TKC METALS 1.03 1.04 0.93 1.13 0.93 1.03 11,893,000 12,501,580 -55,150 VULCAN INDL 1.3 1.32 1.36 1.39 1.3 1.3 6,598,000 8,889,620 -209,680.00 CROWN ASIA 1.91 1.94 1.9 1.94 1.89 1.94 97,000 185,430 EUROMED 2.6 2.61 2.65 2.65 2.6 2.6 1,384,000 3,628,210 -126,720 LMG CORP 4.58 4.87 4.6 4.6 4.58 4.58 4,000 18,360 MABUHAY VINYL 4.65 4.7 4.7 4.7 4.7 4.7 8,000 37,600 PRYCE CORP 5.44 5.49 5.42 5.5 5.42 5.44 362,700 1,987,132 -676,270 CONCEPCION 22.55 23.45 22.5 23 22.45 22.55 119,700 2,729,355 1,935,470 GREENERGY 2.6 2.62 2.63 2.65 2.59 2.62 3,999,000 10,467,490 969,430 INTEGRATED MICR 8.23 8.38 8.33 8.5 8.1 8.23 2,570,000 21,536,798 -422,593 IONICS 1.34 1.35 1.43 1.45 1.33 1.34 11,295,000 15,552,270 242,860 PANASONIC 5.2 5.36 5.36 5.36 5.2 5.2 1,000 5,216 SFA SEMICON 1.69 1.7 1.61 1.87 1.55 1.69 46,226,000 81,320,040 3,351,270 CIRTEK HLDG 7.44 7.47 7.65 7.8 7.3 7.44 7,017,100 53,177,457 4,173,224
Primex inks management deal with Accor for Greenhills hotel
0.73 0.74 0.72 0.78 0.69 0.74 122,386,000 90,768,500 -77,020 9 9.18 8.7 9.5 8.7 9.18 164,800 1,479,575 18,110 837 840 849 849 831 840 316,950 265,607,130 -56,877,890 46.25 46.4 46.25 47 46.2 46.25 1,087,600 50,468,845 -6,702,150 10.76 10.78 10.9 10.9 10.72 10.78 2,901,000 31,370,068 -5,973,700 3.53 3.55 3.52 3.6 3.41 3.55 11,770,000 41,467,320 25,766,930 6.6 6.79 6.5 6.79 6.5 6.79 8,000 52,464 0.83 0.84 0.83 0.87 0.8 0.83 5,524,000 4,632,550 0.94 0.95 0.95 0.97 0.94 0.94 7,152,000 6,784,580 0.96 0.98 1.01 1.01 0.95 0.96 464,000 448,120 5.67 5.69 5.68 5.79 5.66 5.67 1,420,300 8,075,378 -5,821,962 6.12 6.15 6.04 6.16 6.04 6.15 3,937,500 24,078,633 459,803 9.99 10 10.1 10.1 10 10 30,300 303,666 3.27 3.76 3.41 3.41 3.23 3.27 13,000 43,440 0.215 0.232 0.21 0.215 0.21 0.215 70,000 14,850 636 650 645 650 635 650 134,520 86,319,300 -28,790,770 4.25 4.3 4.26 4.3 4.25 4.3 25,000 106,820 34,000 70.3 71 69.6 71 69.6 71 556,490 39,317,838 13,313,436.50 5.05 5.29 5.05 5.69 5.04 5.29 22,600 114,675 0.9 0.91 0.87 0.94 0.86 0.91 3,572,000 3,218,860 -111,400 3.72 3.74 3.73 3.74 3.72 3.74 1,477,000 5,496,350 -662,360 14 14.02 13.98 14.02 13.94 14.02 3,512,500 49,109,832 -17,664,296 0.53 0.55 0.55 0.56 0.53 0.55 566,000 304,720 1.81 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 2,000 3,800 4.32 4.37 4.43 4.43 4.32 4.32 16,155,000 70,369,850 -34,159,230 3.9 3.91 3.95 3.99 3.87 3.9 459,000 1,799,510 19,450 0.96 0.99 0.95 0.99 0.94 0.99 698,000 674,270 2.98 3 2.98 3 2.98 3 233,000 698,800 1.23 1.28 1.3 1.3 1.23 1.27 177,000 224,890 1,088 1,094 1,068 1,095 1,050 1,094 378,330 410,016,335 133,134,725 137.2 137.7 137.5 138 136.5 137.7 117,930 16,201,071 843,473.00 0.81 0.83 0.85 0.88 0.81 0.82 651,000 547,630 1.86 1.95 1.95 1.95 1.95 1.95 8,000 15,600 144.6 145.6 145 145.7 144.6 144.6 3,270 475,341 -228,715.00 0.24 0.241 0.24 0.242 0.231 0.24 1,600,000 384,650 0.2 0.204 0.194 0.21 0.194 0.2 22,780,000 4,634,070 -10,000
PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.72 0.73 0.73 0.74 0.7 0.73 1,138,000 816,800 10,500 ANCHOR LAND 8.21 8.8 8.21 8.99 8.15 8.8 21,600 179,895 -821 AYALA LAND 41.05 42 41.25 42 41 42 4,489,300 186,988,360 13,141,360 ARANETA PROP 1.28 1.32 1.33 1.33 1.32 1.32 24,000 31,760 AREIT RT 29.75 29.9 30 30 29.75 29.9 1,184,100 35,425,210 16,259,590 BELLE CORP 1.75 1.76 1.77 1.77 1.75 1.76 2,063,000 3,631,060 -1,400,620 A BROWN 1.03 1.04 0.94 1.13 0.93 1.03 122,553,000 129,320,370 -845,670 CITYLAND DEVT 0.82 0.84 0.82 0.84 0.81 0.84 89,000 73,070 -67,240 CROWN EQUITIES 0.164 0.166 0.164 0.174 0.163 0.164 8,240,000 1,371,100 CEBU HLDG 5.86 6 6 6 6 6 8,700 52,200 CEB LANDMASTERS 4.99 5 5.05 5.05 4.99 5 718,800 3,597,140 19,980 CENTURY PROP 0.465 0.47 0.465 0.47 0.46 0.47 18,440,000 8,544,950 64,900 CYBER BAY 0.37 0.38 0.375 0.385 0.365 0.37 10,180,000 3,788,500 96,700 DOUBLEDRAGON 15.74 15.78 16.3 16.4 15.66 15.78 6,279,600 100,619,116 -44,348,932 DM WENCESLAO 8.1 8.2 7.83 8.1 7.75 8.1 256,100 2,033,563 EMPIRE EAST 0.335 0.34 0.34 0.35 0.335 0.34 9,920,000 3,410,700 125,550 EVER GOTESCO 0.098 0.1 0.098 0.101 0.094 0.1 9,100,000 901,790 FILINVEST LAND 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.19 1.17 1.18 10,682,000 12,574,420 6,613,370 GLOBAL ESTATE 0.97 0.99 0.96 0.99 0.96 0.99 1,116,000 1,079,980 -29,400 8990 HLDG 8.8 8.82 8.8 8.82 8.57 8.82 23,300 203,325 -44,000 PHIL INFRADEV 1.57 1.6 1.61 1.62 1.57 1.57 2,227,000 3,529,630 83,230 KEPPEL PROP 3.71 3.93 4.45 4.45 3.66 3.93 108,000 432,310 -37,100 CITY AND LAND 0.75 0.79 0.75 0.82 0.74 0.79 671,000 519,080 9,300 MEGAWORLD 4.09 4.1 4.12 4.12 4.03 4.1 23,133,000 94,346,900 -38,332,240.00 MRC ALLIED 0.62 0.63 0.72 0.72 0.57 0.62 570,310,000 367,445,000 9,475,400 PHIL ESTATES 0.4 0.43 0.425 0.44 0.425 0.43 180,000 77,850 PRIMEX CORP 1.63 1.69 1.69 1.76 1.67 1.69 2,409,000 4,121,200 ROBINSONS LAND 21.3 21.45 21.65 21.65 20.7 21.3 5,125,000 109,261,665 -20,388,715 PHIL REALTY 0.32 0.34 0.325 0.34 0.32 0.34 2,750,000 907,850 99,000 ROCKWELL 1.61 1.63 1.63 1.69 1.61 1.61 913,000 1,480,840 32,400 SHANG PROP 2.68 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.67 2.68 2,040,000 5,467,050 -8,100 STA LUCIA LAND 2.12 2.17 2.15 2.19 2.12 2.17 566,000 1,207,290 SM PRIME HLDG 37.85 38.2 38.3 38.45 37.7 37.85 16,650,500 631,860,010 -123,221,600 VISTAMALLS 4.74 4.79 4.86 4.88 4.71 4.74 144,000 688,320 SUNTRUST HOME 1.8 1.81 1.84 1.87 1.8 1.81 5,715,000 10,486,040 -233,160 VISTA LAND 5 5.01 5.09 5.13 5.01 5.01 10,664,600 53,718,822 1,627,149 SERVICES ABS CBN 12.08 12.1 12.1 12.14 12.08 12.08 205,500 2,486,738 GMA NETWORK 6.02 6.05 6.08 6.09 6.02 6.05 1,024,200 6,198,452 MANILA BULLETIN 0.445 0.47 0.445 0.49 0.44 0.47 2,890,000 1,340,850 MLA BRDCASTING 11.74 12.1 11.36 12.1 11.36 12.1 2,700 32,002 GLOBE TELECOM 2,014 2,040 2,010 2,040 2,010 2,040 23,270 47,178,350 10,804,890 PLDT 1,338 1,340 1,331 1,345 1,331 1,340 73,540 98,393,420 -17,380,120 APOLLO GLOBAL 0.09 0.091 0.09 0.096 0.087 0.09 1,137,360,000 103,503,220 81,040 CONVERGE 15.74 15.8 15.54 15.9 15.52 15.74 3,048,500 47,965,030 1,412,340 DFNN INC 5.6 5.65 5.58 5.7 5.52 5.65 622,700 3,484,805 -459,572 DITO CME HLDG 7.72 7.73 7.65 7.8 7.65 7.72 11,815,200 91,294,316 -580,050 IMPERIAL 1.55 1.75 1.49 1.88 1.49 1.75 226,000 365,570 ISLAND INFO 0.133 0.137 0.125 0.147 0.125 0.137 69,680,000 9,589,190 301,020.00 JACKSTONES 2.13 2.2 2.18 2.32 2.05 2.2 372,000 814,290 NOW CORP 4.69 4.7 4.65 4.79 4.62 4.69 5,409,000 25,533,410 563,790 TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.33 0.335 0.335 0.355 0.33 0.335 31,760,000 10,818,750 73,700 PHILWEB 3.18 3.19 3.23 3.32 3.19 3.19 2,485,000 8,025,010 405,150 2GO GROUP 9.01 9.13 9.04 9.16 9.02 9.02 76,100 691,750 ASIAN TERMINALS 15.5 15.6 15.6 15.6 15.5 15.5 1,800 28,050 -23,400 CHELSEA 5.34 5.35 5.4 5.4 5.33 5.34 2,688,500 14,409,431 105,919 CEBU AIR 54 54.1 50.5 54.7 50.3 54 1,865,460 99,851,252.50 5,613,504.50 INTL CONTAINER 123.8 124 124 125 123.5 124 1,326,490 164,988,842 -6,519,395 LBC EXPRESS 15.8 16 15.84 16 15.8 15.8 12,300 194,670 31,640 LORENZO SHIPPNG 1.02 1.03 1.01 1.03 0.96 1.02 5,358,000 5,165,740 MACROASIA 7.65 7.66 7.75 7.97 7.65 7.66 4,000,600 31,133,123 -2,494,107 METROALLIANCE A 2.19 2.23 2.29 2.34 2.17 2.23 1,817,000 4,089,480 METROALLIANCE B 2.11 2.2 2.2 2.29 2.07 2.2 44,000 93,040 PAL HLDG 7.13 7.14 7.2 7.2 7.1 7.14 34,300 244,950 HARBOR STAR 1.67 1.68 1.75 1.85 1.66 1.67 13,468,000 23,832,790 -242,140 ACESITE HOTEL 1.45 1.52 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 5,000 7,500 BOULEVARD HLDG 0.043 0.044 0.043 0.044 0.042 0.043 98,300,000 4,212,200 158,400 DISCOVERY WORLD 2.25 2.3 2.25 2.3 2 2.3 165,000 349,860 WATERFRONT 0.68 0.69 0.66 0.69 0.63 0.68 34,379,000 22,849,320 305,940 CENTRO ESCOLAR 6.92 7 6.92 6.92 6.92 6.92 300 2,076 FAR EASTERN U 587.5 645 640 640 640 640 20 12,800 IPEOPLE 9.5 9.74 9.5 9.5 9.5 9.5 3,000 28,500 9,500 STI HLDG 0.475 0.48 0.495 0.5 0.475 0.475 23,590,000 11,330,650 990,450 BERJAYA 5.24 5.3 5.33 5.34 5.2 5.24 538,000 2,819,701 BLOOMBERRY 8.65 8.7 8.66 8.7 8.58 8.7 2,281,900 19,739,710 -5,760,722 PACIFIC ONLINE 2.3 2.33 2.39 2.39 2.21 2.3 420,000 966,980 23,700 LEISURE AND RES 2.08 2.12 2.1 2.16 2.02 2.08 717,000 1,485,610 -6,300 MANILA JOCKEY 2.4 2.45 2.46 2.46 2.46 2.46 4,000 9,840 PH RESORTS GRP 3.01 3.02 3.1 3.13 3.02 3.02 9,275,000 28,373,470 48,610 PREMIUM LEISURE 0.49 0.495 0.475 0.53 0.47 0.495 107,020,000 53,411,550 3,450,200 PHIL RACING 7.2 7.43 7 7.39 7 7.3 8,400 60,264 ALLHOME 8.74 8.75 8.75 8.8 8.73 8.75 912,100 7,986,885 5,526,410 METRO RETAIL 1.69 1.71 1.72 1.73 1.69 1.69 5,657,000 9,708,930 -4,113,560 PUREGOLD 40.9 40.95 41.6 41.75 40.55 40.9 4,633,400 190,239,580 -137,583,725 ROBINSONS RTL 67.95 68 67.3 68.3 67.1 68 234,430 15,851,327.50 -2,126,187 PHIL SEVEN CORP 123.4 123.8 123.5 124 120 123.4 10,750 1,325,598 565,234 SSI GROUP 1.69 1.7 1.72 1.72 1.66 1.7 8,556,000 14,516,860 277,170 WILCON DEPOT 17 17.1 17.3 17.3 17 17 420,400 7,182,220 -5,184,356 APC GROUP 0.475 0.485 0.475 0.5 0.47 0.475 10,910,000 5,319,750 190,750 EASYCALL 8.32 8.52 8.5 8.55 8.3 8.4 57,100 479,999 GOLDEN BRIA 440 449 450 450 440 450 190 84,800 IPM HLDG 4.76 4.89 4.88 4.88 4.76 4.88 8,000 38,680 PRMIERE HORIZON 1.08 1.09 1.19 1.25 1.07 1.08 355,597,000 409,037,670 -3,150,340 SBS PHIL CORP 6.2 6.24 6.5 6.5 6.2 6.2 34,200 215,555 -55,760 MINING & OIL ATOK 8.7 8.98 9.3 9.3 8.5 8.98 819,600 7,284,324 25,530 APEX MINING 1.81 1.82 1.82 1.88 1.8 1.81 18,065,000 33,236,060 -56,460 ABRA MINING 0.0027 0.0028 0.0028 0.0029 0.0026 0.0027 27,230,000,000 75,292,900 197,700 ATLAS MINING 6.66 6.67 6.69 6.7 6.58 6.67 378,400 2,532,427 42,825 BENGUET A 3.04 3.13 3.13 3.13 3.1 3.13 27,000 83,900 COAL ASIA HLDG 0.31 0.32 0.31 0.32 0.31 0.315 1,080,000 336,750 CENTURY PEAK 2.48 2.5 2.51 2.51 2.48 2.5 32,000 79,610 67,060 DIZON MINES 8.25 8.37 8.3 8.39 8.21 8.37 9,100 75,250 FERRONICKEL 2.59 2.6 2.68 2.69 2.55 2.6 11,095,000 28,961,220 5,844,060 GEOGRACE 0.285 0.295 0.295 0.3 0.285 0.295 350,000 102,850 LEPANTO A 0.17 0.171 0.16 0.171 0.158 0.17 178,710,000 29,795,080 LEPANTO B 0.168 0.17 0.16 0.168 0.157 0.168 11,880,000 1,923,660 14,780 MANILA MINING A 0.01 0.011 0.011 0.011 0.01 0.011 28,500,000 298,600 MANILA MINING B 0.011 0.012 0.012 0.012 0.011 0.011 54,800,000 623,600 12,000 MARCVENTURES 1.46 1.48 1.57 1.66 1.4 1.46 10,917,000 16,557,710 103,650 NIHAO 3.01 3.02 3.22 3.28 3.01 3.01 1,730,000 5,297,120 27,020.00 NICKEL ASIA 5.15 5.19 5.2 5.22 5.08 5.19 7,330,000 37,557,327 16,022,624 OMICO CORP 0.41 0.42 0.39 0.425 0.38 0.42 1,770,000 725,200 12,150 ORNTL PENINSULA 0.79 0.81 0.84 0.84 0.79 0.81 2,826,000 2,272,180 PX MINING 5.15 5.18 5.2 5.25 5.11 5.18 4,665,000 24,136,780 3,789,755 SEMIRARA MINING 14.7 14.84 15 15.3 14.7 14.7 6,434,000 96,525,512 12,383,960 UNITED PARAGON 0.0065 0.0068 0.007 0.007 0.0064 0.0065 38,000,000 247,700 ACE ENEXOR 11.64 11.88 12.3 12.6 11.64 11.64 481,600 5,800,198 783,002 ORNTL PETROL A 0.012 0.013 0.013 0.014 0.012 0.013 478,800,000 5,956,800 ORNTL PETROL B 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.013 0.012 0.012 40,600,000 512,200 PHILODRILL 0.01 0.011 0.011 0.012 0.01 0.011 201,200,000 2,214,900 3,300 PXP ENERGY 12.86 12.92 12.8 13.1 12.74 12.92 1,426,400 18,498,996 -1,811,504 PREFFERED ALCO PREF C 102.1 110 110 110 110 110 20 2,200 AC PREF B2R 511 515 510 511 510 511 1,520 775,790 DD PREF 100.8 102.5 100.5 100.8 100.5 100.8 2,600 261,330 FGEN PREF G 110 113 113 113 113 113 11,590 1,309,670 GLO PREF P 506 512.5 506 508 505 507 29,190 14,797,590 -116,840 GTCAP PREF A 1,018 1,030 1,010 1,015 1,010 1,015 750 760,000 GTCAP PREF B 1,032 1,035 1,038 1,038 1,035 1,035 105 108,890 MWIDE PREF 101 101.6 101.7 101.7 101.7 101.7 20,000 2,034,000 MWIDE PREF 2A 100 100.9 99.9 100 99.9 100 1,690 168,933 MWIDE PREF 2B 99.15 99.8 99.8 99.8 99.8 99.8 100 9,980 PNX PREF 3A 99.5 100.5 100.5 100.5 100.5 100.5 300 30,150 PNX PREF 3B 103 103.6 103 103.6 103 103.6 1,110 114,390 PNX PREF 4 998 1,000 1,000 1,000 998 998 1,385 1,384,330 PCOR PREF 2B 1,024 1,025 1,029 1,029 1,025 1,025 30 30,790 30,790 PCOR PREF 3A 1,060 1,071 1,072 1,072 1,072 1,072 10 10,720 PCOR PREF 3B 1,080 1,119 1,118 1,119 1,118 1,119 170 190,180 SMC PREF 2C 77.8 78.5 78.5 78.7 77.8 77.8 52,700 4,135,195 SMC PREF 2E 75.8 76.95 77 77 77 77 500 38,500 SMC PREF 2F 77.15 78 77.15 77.15 77.1 77.1 1,251,000 96,452,150 SMC PREF 2G 75.2 76 76 76 76 76 30 2,280 SMC PREF 2H 75.4 76.45 75.7 76 75.45 75.45 1,336,760 100,861,163 SMC PREF 2J 75.4 75.5 75.5 75.5 75.5 75.5 710 53,605 SMC PREF 2K 75.05 75.65 75.7 75.75 75.05 75.05 17,010 1,284,879 -37,850 PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR 12.1 12.48 12.1 12.1 12.1 12.1 1,300 15,730 GMA HLDG PDR 5.86 5.88 5.8 5.86 5.65 5.86 369,300 2,146,841 525,844 WARRANTS LR WARRANT 1.11 1.14 1.18 1.18 1.11 1.11 717,000 816,330 SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ALTUS PROP 13.8 13.82 14.66 14.9 13.5 13.8 1,019,700 14,491,016 -464,294 ITALPINAS 3.18 3.19 3.27 3.36 3.15 3.18 9,355,000 30,171,350 -1,426,160 KEPWEALTH 7.22 7.36 7.2 7.87 7.14 7.36 604,200 4,463,345 42,520 MERRYMART 5.81 5.82 5.8 5.91 5.78 5.81 11,864,200 69,104,218 2,520,921 EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS FIRST METRO ETF 110 110.9 110.1 110.5 109.1 110 19,140 2,100,407 -59,150
By VG Cabuag
P
@villygc
RIMEX Corp. on Thursday said it signed a hotel management deal with Accor for its Pullman Manila at Primex Tower in Greenhills, San Juan. Slated for completion in 2023, the 200-room five-star hotel developed by its unit Primex Realty Corp. is located within one of the tallest mixed-use edifices in the Metro Manila and only one of a few with a view of two golf courses. It
will occupy 10 of the topmost floor of Primex Tower. “We are very pleased to be partnering with Accor as we welcome an energizing hospitality offering at Primex Tower. We strongly believe Pullman Manila is the perfect fit for
this landmark development as it allows visitors to stay connected and engaged with a range of pioneering amenities that is perfect for both work and play,” Karlvin L. Ang, the executive vice president and director of Primex group, said. “This is a great market which will continue to thrive in the longterm due to its great potential driven by economic development, natural attractions, the people’s warm hospitality and the ongoing improvement of transport infrastructure. It is also a testament of our commitment to the Philippines as one of the key growth destinations in Asia and the positive prospects for the tourism sector,” Andrew Langdon, senior vice
president for development of Accor Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea, said. The 50-storey Primex Tower will incorporate retail and office spaces on the lower floors, while the premium hotel will be situated in the topmost ten floors. Pullman Manila at Primex Tower will have two restaurants, a lobby lounge and a rooftop bar with a view of the Metro Manila skyline. The hotel will also feature a fitness center and a swimming pool. Accor currently operates 7 hotels in the Metro Manila area which had over 5 million visitors by air in 2019. It has a pipeline of 16 hotels scheduled to open across the country in the next five years.
NGCP completes Mindanao backbone project By Lenie Lectura
HOLDING & FRIMS
ABACORE CAPITAL ASIABEST GROUP AYALA CORP ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL AYALA LAND LOG ANSCOR ANGLO PHIL HLDG ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FJ PRINCE A FORUM PACIFIC GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT KEPPEL HLDG A LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG MJC INVESTMENTS METRO PAC INV PACIFICA HLDG PRIME MEDIA REPUBLIC GLASS SOLID GROUP SM INVESTMENTS SAN MIGUEL CORP SOC RESOURCES SEAFRONT RES TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG
www.businessmirror.com.ph
@llectura
T
HE National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has energized the Toril-Bunawan 230 kilovolt (kV) transmission line, the final component of its Mindanao 230 kiloVolt (kV) backbone project. Energization of the P7.09-billion backbone project components started with the power transformer in Villanueva Substation and Maramag-Villanueva 230kV Line 2 in September 2019, while the Balo-i-Villanueva Lines 1 and 2 were energized in September and October of the same year. Transformers in Bunawan Substation and the Maramag-Bunawan 230kV lines were energized also in October 2019. This was followed by the energization of another new transformer in Villanueva Substation and the Maramag-Villanueva Line 1 in November 2019, while a power transformer in Toril Substation was energized shortly after in the same month. The Matanao-Toril 230kV Lines 1 and 2 were energized in December 2019 and January 2020, respectively, while the Matanao-Culaman 230kV Lines 1 and 2 were energized in the same period. The final component, the Toril-Bunawan 230kV Lines 1 and 2, were energized in November 2020, despite the difficulties posed by the varying lockdown protocols implemented across the country. “With this completion, the line will supplement the existing Davao-
Toril-Matanao 138kV transmission line in transmitting any and all available and incoming generation, ensuring transmission service reliability for the entire region,” said NGCP. Among the generating facilities that will connect to the line are the GNPower Kauswagan Clean CoalFired Power Plant, Therma South Incorporated Power Plant, and San Miguel Consolidated Power Corp., with a total combined capacity of 1,440MW. The grid operator said the Mindanao backbone project is seen to stabilize power transmission in the island. As one of NGCP’s critical projects, the Mindanao backbone will connect bulk generation from the northern and southern parts of Mindanao and ensure stable and continuous power from Lanao del Norte, passing through Agusan del Sur, all the way to Davao del Sur. More importantly, the Mindanao 230kV backbone project is an integral part of NGCP’s Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP), which will link the Visayas and Mindanao islands and realize sharing of power within the entire country. “The Mindanao Backbone is critical to the MVIP because through this project, the new transmission line will accommodate the capacities needed to fully support and utilize the capabilities of the interconnection,” NGCP added. NGCP is a Filipino-led, privately owned company in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the
Napocor tops GCG governance ranking
T
HE National Power Corp. (Napocor) was named as the topperforming agency among 80 government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) in the 2019 Corporate Governance Scorecard, the state firm said Thursday. From the previous year’s assessment score of 87.50 percent, Napocor’s rating improved to 100.52 percent. This is also the first time that it landed on the top spot among 11 GOCCs in the Energy and Materials sector in the governance ranking, the state firm said. Earlier this year, Napocor was also among the top 10 GOCCs with the biggest dividend contribution to the national treasury. Republic Act 7656 requires GOCCs to remit at least half of their net earnings to the national government. Napocor contributed P4 billion pesos this year. The Corporate Governance Scorecard is an annual assessment conducted by the Governance Com-
mission for GOCCs (GCG) to ensure sound governance and standards of agencies. It measures the GOCCs’ policies and practices on stakeholder relationship, disclosure and transparency with information and relevant data, and the responsibilities of its Board. Likewise, the Corporate Governance Scorecard also ensures that agencies enhance their corporate value. It closely monitors the GOCCs’ Performance Scorecard, a system of setting measures, targets and initiatives in facilitating accomplishments and meeting strategic objectives of the organization. The GCG was created under the GOCC Governance Act of 2011 to ensure transparent operations of GOCCs. In 2015, it developed the Corporate Governance Scorecard modeled from the Principles of Corporate Governance of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard. Lenie Lectura
country’s power grid, led by majority shareholders and Vice Chairman of
MUTUAL FUNDS
the Board Henry Sy Jr. and Co-Vice Chairman Robert Coyiuto Jr.
December 17, 2020
NAV ONE YEAR THREE YEAR FIVE YEAR Y-T-D PER SHARE RETURN* RETURN STOCK FUNDS ALFM GROWTH FUND, INC. -A 231.58 -6.8% -7.26% -0.97% -8.04% ATRAM ALPHA OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC. -A 1.3391 -3.52% -5.97% 2.92% -3.1% ATRAM PHILIPPINE EQUITY OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC. -A 3.2145 -11.87% -10.91% -2.28% -12.61% CLIMBS SHARE CAPITAL EQUITY INVESTMENT FUND CORP. -A 0.8259 - 6.55% -6.58% N.A. -8.03% FIRST METRO CONSUMER FUND ON MSCI PHILS. IMI, INC. -A 0.7716 -8.06% N.A. N.A. -9.15% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN EQUITY FUND,INC. -A 5.0616 -3.63% -5.29% -0.59% -5.01% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN PHILIPPINE INDEX FUND, INC. -A,4 0.7792 -7.5% -7.41% N.A. -8.72% MBG EQUITY INVESTMENT FUND, INC. -A 101.46 -1.82% N.A. N.A. -1.71% PAMI EQUITY INDEX FUND, INC. -A 47.9167 -5.27% -4.83% 0.87% -6.56% PHILAM STRATEGIC GROWTH FUND, INC. -A 497.97 -5.36% -4.98% 0.01% -6.53% PHILEQUITY ALPHA ONE FUND, INC. -A,D,5 1.1122 11.48% N.A. N.A. 7.97% PHILEQUITY DIVIDEND YIELD FUND, INC. -A 1.1899 -6.39% -5.07% 0.51% -7.54% PHILEQUITY FUND, INC. -A 35.3723 -5.53% -4.61% 1.22% -6.66% PHILEQUITY MSCI PHILIPPINE INDEX FUND, INC. -A 0.9315 -7.22% N.A. N.A. -8.51% PHILEQUITY PSE INDEX FUND INC. -A 4.9008 -4.85% -4.4% 1.63% -6.18% PHILIPPINE STOCK INDEX FUND CORP. -A 819.64 -4.63% -4.3% 1.54% -6% SOLDIVO STRATEGIC GROWTH FUND, INC. -A 0.7401 -12.5% -8.16% -2.58% -13.07% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY PHILIPPINE EQUITY FUND, INC. -A 3.7064 -10.82% -6.45% -0.29% -11.94% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY PHILIPPINE STOCK INDEX FUND, INC. -A 0.9384 -4.89% -4.62% 1.4% -6.24% UNITED FUND, INC. -A 3.3856 -6.33% -3.96% 1.66% -7.33% EXCHANGE TRADED FUND FIRST METRO PHIL. EQUITY EXCHANGE TRADED FUND, INC. -A,C 110.004 -4.53% -4.05% 2.31% -5.94% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES ATRAM ASIAPLUS EQUITY FUND, INC. -B $1.1918 18.06% 2.79% 6.48% 15.89% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY WORLD VOYAGER FUND, INC. -A $1.6409 21.34% 9.42% N.A. 19.02% BALANCED FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ATRAM DYNAMIC ALLOCATION FUND, INC. -A 1.6839 8.25% -3.06% -0.33% 7.75% ATRAM PHILIPPINE BALANCED FUND, INC. -A 2.3172 6.4% -1.72% 1.85% 6.24% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN BALANCED FUND INC. -A 2.6671 2.27% -1.04% 0.04% 1.35% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN F.O.C.C.U.S. DYNAMIC FUND, INC. -A,1 0.2016 -11.42% N.A. N.A. -11.77% NCM MUTUAL FUND OF THE PHILS., INC. -A 1.9855 1.73% 0.24% 2.29% 1.22% PAMI HORIZON FUND, INC. -A 3.8272 1.83% -0.42% 1.66% 1.01% PHILAM FUND, INC. -A 17.1108 1.63% -0.53% 1.58% 0.89% SOLIDARITAS FUND, INC. -A 2.1154 0.38% -1.74% 1.28% -0.32% SUN LIFE OF CANADA PROSPERITY BALANCED FUND, INC. -A 3.6219 -5.25% -2.98% 0.37% -6.25% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY ACHIEVER FUND 2028, INC. -A,D 1.0325 2.6% N.A. N.A. 1.65% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY ACHIEVER FUND 2038, INC. -A,D 0.9675 -1.7% N.A. N.A. -2.9% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY ACHIEVER FUND 2048, INC. -A,D 0.9521 -2.95% N.A. N.A. -4.14% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DYNAMIC FUND, INC. -A 0.9047 -6.15% -3.54% -0.28% -7.19% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES COCOLIFE DOLLAR FUND BUILDER, INC. -A $0.03905 2.2% 2.62% 1.99% 2.23% PAMI ASIA BALANCED FUND, INC. -B $1.1382 11.2% 2.99% 5.61% 12.47% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR ADVANTAGE FUND, INC. -A $4.4426 15.17% 7.02% 7.52% 13.6% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR WELLSPRING FUND, INC. -A,3 $1.1916 6.45% 3.33% N.A. 5.57% BOND FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ALFM PESO BOND FUND, INC. -A 370.68 3.77% 3.26% 2.8% 3.56% ATRAM CORPORATE BOND FUND, INC. -A 1.8995 -0.03% 0.19% 0.08% -0.13% COCOLIFE FIXED INCOME FUND, INC. -A 3.212 3.29% 4.53% 4.83% 3.02% EKKLESIA MUTUAL FUND INC. -A 2.2953 3.26% 2.91% 2.43% 3.23% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN FIXED INCOME FUND,INC. -A 2.4522 3.99% 3.46% 2.15% 3.95% PHILAM BOND FUND, INC. -A 4.6311 5.97% 4.61% 3.11% 5.9% PHILAM MANAGED INCOME FUND, INC. -A,6 1.319 5.06% 4.46% 2.62% 4.96% PHILEQUITY PESO BOND FUND, INC. -A 3.9791 5.72% 4.48% 2.88% 5.04% SOLDIVO BOND FUND, INC. -A 1.0389 7.87% 4.1% 2.55% 7.74% SUN LIFE OF CANADA PROSPERITY BOND FUND, INC. -A 3.198 4.31% 4.77% 3.51% 3.98% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY GS FUND, INC. -A 1.7495 2.91% 4.09% 2.92% 2.85% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES ALFM DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -A $483.17 3.27% 2.73% 2.97% 3.16% ALFM EURO BOND FUND, INC. -A Є219.07 -0.33% 0.76% 1.23% -0.33% ATRAM TOTAL RETURN DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -B $1.2732 5.69% 3.93% 3.1% 5.47% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -A $0.0265 2.71% 1.96% 1.75% 2.71% PAMI GLOBAL BOND FUND, INC -B $1.0918 -0.27% 0.42% 0.77% -0.16% PHILAM DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -A $2.5272 5.17% 3.96% 3.72% 5.15% PHILEQUITY DOLLAR INCOME FUND INC. -A $0.0623105 3.28% 2.77% 2.38% 3.33% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR ABUNDANCE FUND, INC. -A $3.2074 0.81% 2.11% 2.52% 1.01% MONEY MARKET FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ALFM MONEY MARKET FUND, INC. -A 129.72 3.24% 3.35% 2.58% 3.09% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN MONEY MARKET FUND, INC. -A 1.0475 1.67% N.A. N.A. 2.07% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY MONEY MARKET FUND, INC. -A 1.2957 2.58% 2.99% 2.62% 2.43% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR STARTER FUND, INC. -A $1.052 1.49% 1.74% N.A. 1.32% FEEDER FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES SUN LIFE PROSPERITY WORLD EQUITY INDEX FEEDER FUND, INC. -A,D,7 1.1092 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES ALFM GLOBAL MULTI-ASSET INCOME FUND INC. -B,D,2 $0.98 -1.01% N.A. N.A. -1.01% A - NAVPS AS OF THE PREVIOUS BANKING DAY. B - NAVPS AS OF TWO BANKING DAYS AGO. C - LISTED IN THE PSE. D - IN NET ASSET VALUE PER UNIT (NAVPU). 1 - LAUNCH DATE IS SEPTEMBER 28, 2019. 2 - LAUNCH DATE IS NOVEMBER 15, 2019. 3 - ADJUSTED DUE TO STOCK DIVIDEND ISSUANCE LAST OCTOBER 9, 2019. 4 - RENAMING WAS APPROVED BY THE SEC LAST OCTOBER 12, 2018 (FORMERLY, ONE WEALTHY NATION FUND, INC.). 5 - LAUNCH DATE IS DECEMBER 09, 2019. 6 - RE-CLASSIFIED INTO A BOND FUND STARTING FEBRUARY 21, 2020 (FORMERLY A MONEY MARKET FUND). 7 - LAUNCH DATE IS JULY 6, 2020. "While we endeavor to keep the information accurate, the Philippine Investment Funds Association (PIFA) and its members make no warranties as to the correctness of the newspaper’s publication and assume no liability or responsibility for any error or omissions. You may visit http://www. pifa.com.ph to see the latest NAVPS/NAVPU."
www.businessmirror.com.ph
Banking&Finance BusinessMirror
Govt bags ₧9.52B worth of seized smuggled goods
T
he Bureau of Customs (BOC) estimates that it was able to seize P9.52 billion worth of smuggled goods, mainly tobacco, this year. In a statement, the BOC said it inspected 151 customs bonded warehouses (CBWs) and 249 members of customs common bonded warehouses (CCBWs) between January 1 and December 4 this year. Deputy Customs Commissioner Vener S. Baquiran said the BOC has filed 70 criminal cases against 244 suspected smugglers and padlocked 19 CBWs between January and the first week of December this year. Baquiran said in a report to the Department of Finance that another 40 members of CCBWs were also closed down during the same period. Of the amount, more than half or P5.05 billion of the smuggled goods were composed of confiscated tobac-
co products. Other big ticket items were P1.85 billion worth of drugs and P1.02 billion worth of counterfeit items. The BOC said it seized general merchandise worth P413.89 million; vehicles and automobile accessories, P354.53 million; and agricultural products amounting to P238.49 million. The agency also confiscated foodstuff amounting P200 million; personal protective equipment (PPEs) and medical supplies and cosmetics, P195.57 million; jewelry and other products, P68.89 million; used clothing, P48.09 million; and, P32.59 million-worth of various types of currency. The list of seized items included electronics goods worth P31.07 million; chemicals, P5 million; steel products, P4.76 million; alcoholic beverages, P2.43 million; and firearms, P300,000. Cai U. Ordinario
Virtually yours
T
he year is coming to a close, and if I have to write a letter to 2020, I will close it with “virtually yours.” And why not? For ten months since the lockdown started in March due to the pandemic, I already lost count of the number of webinars, e-meetings, virtual conferences, exhibitions and tours, as well as other online events that I have coorganized, spoken in or attended. I’m counting this should not be less than 100 in total! Despite working mostly from home and a couple of days a week in the office these past seven months, I have been busier this year. In fact, my calendar is packed with virtual appointments I have never experienced before. And with these events happening in different time zones, it has been crazy working sometimes from six in the morning to midnight! I have also ‘occupied’ a small room in our house and ‘converted’ it into a radio station booth, complete with two laptops, three monitors, a webcam, a decent microphone, a sound bar, a live sound card, a large ring light and a green screen background — all set to broadcast or participate online. Is this a good thing? Well, yes, at least from my perspective working in the association world. Among others, I have: (a) learned a lot in so short a time; (b) known so many people and peers in the sector; (c) become tech literate through ‘hands-on’ lessons from my millennial son; (d) accessed more knowledge resources I can use in my job; and, (e) gotten ample references to write for this column. Will this be the ‘new normal’ in association management? I say yes, absolutely! Virtual activities and events will be part of the growing portfolio of service offerings that associations will have to undertake even beyond the pandemic. What does it take to adapt to this new way of managing associations? Here are six things – ‘6S’ – to consider based on my experience: 1. Start where you are right now. Your organization must already be doing some form of digitalization, e.g., having a website, producing
Association World Octavio Peralta e-newsletters, doing email marketing, using social media — so begin innovating here. 2. Source a good video conference platform. You will need this to organize virtual events, e.g., webinars and e-meetings, to engage with your members. There are a lot of good and reasonably priced platforms available out there. 3. Scout for appropriate technology. Aside from a video conference platform, look out for association management software, customer (member) relations management tools, etc. 4. Seek out for partners. This will boost your confidence in transforming digitally as many other associations are in the same situation as you are. Consider jointly organizing online events in collaboration with another association in the same industry or profession. You may wish to contact my organization, PCAAE, whose members are trade associations and professional societies. 5. Skill-build your staff. With the digital change, your personnel needs to acquire new competencies to do their work well. 6. Strategize proactively. Your digitalization efforts will evolve as you go through the process. Try to look beyond what you have started and aim for continuous improvement. The column contributor, Octavio ‘Bobby’ Peralta, is concurrently the secretary-general of the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific, Founder & CEO of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives and President of the Asia-Pacific Federation of Association Organizations. The purpose of PCAAE— the “association of associations”—is to advance the association management profession and to make associations well-governed and sustainable. PCAAE enjoys the support of ADFIAP, the Tourism Promotions Board, and the Philippine International Convention Center. E-mail: obp@adfiap.org
Friday, December 18, 2020 B3
$900-M loan for govt Covid response gets WB approval
T
By Cai U. Ordinario
@caiordinario
he World Bank has approved $900-million worth of new project loans the government sought to recover from the pandemic, improve competitiveness and build resilience against shocks and natural disasters.
The World Bank said in a statement it has approved a $600-million worth “Promoting Competitiveness and Enhancing Resilience to Natural Disasters Development” (Pcerndd) policy loan and a $300-million loan to finance additional financing for the Kalahi-Cidss National Community Driven Development Project (KC-NCDDP). With these new loans, the Philippines has secured a total of $3.062 billion worth of financing from the Washington-based lender this year. Prior to these two loans, the World Bank has approved eight loans and grants for the Philippines. “Reforms to improve digital infrastructure and speed up adoption of digital technologies will not only help the country’s efforts to recover from the impacts of the pandemic but will also boost its export competitiveness that is vital for creating more and better jobs in the future,” the statement quoted Ndiamé Diop, World Bank Country Director for
Brunei, Malaysia, The Philippines and Thailand. According to the lender, the Pcerndd policy loan aims to support efforts to adopt digital technologies, promote greater competition, and reduce the costs of doing business to revive more economic activities and jobs in the country. The World Bank said these will help small and medium enterprises bounce back from the pandemic as well as citizens to cope with social distancing measures and other health protocols. These efforts will also improve the delivery of social assistance to the most disadvantaged groups in society. These efforts include promoting competition and digital infrastructure expansion in the telecommunications sector, shifting to digital transactions for customs procedures to reduce trade costs, indemnity insurance to protect public assets (e.g., schools, hospitals) from natural disasters, and implementing the National ID program for financial
inclusion and social transfer program delivery. “The implementation of the national ID system is a fundamental reform that will allow for better targeting of social programs, reducing transaction costs, and ensuring the protection of vulnerable groups, especially in times of shocks including pandemics and natural disasters,” Diop said. Meanwhile, the additional financing for the Kalahi-Cidss (Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services) NCDD project will provide grants to finance communityidentified and community-managed responses that restore or improve basic social services. This includes services to address the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and other disasters that affected the poorest and most vulnerable municipalities. These community projects include local basic facilities such as access roads/bridges, water systems, school buildings and day care centers, in the poorest barangays/municipalities which have limited internal revenue allotment (IRA) from the national government and are otherwise not reached by other programs due to their geographic isolation and difficult circumstances. The KC-NCDDP is implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development in partnership with the Department of the Interior and Local Government. “Community-driven development approaches have shown to be effective in accelerating com-
munity reconstruction following disaster events and efficiently putting money for priority needs of communities around the world,” said Diop. “I have no doubt that the same approach—communities working together to address common challenges—will help them bounce back from this pandemic and build resilience to future shocks at the same time.” Based on data from the World Bank, the largest loans approved this year, apart from these two new loans, are: the $600-million “Beneficiary First Social Protection” project and the financing for the “Philippines Emergency Covid-19 Response” development policy loan and the “Third Disaster Risk Management” development policy loan. Both amounted to $500 million each. The smallest financing received by the country this year is a grant worth $850,000 for the “Conflict Monitoring and Participatory Processes” for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The World Bank Group is making available up to $160 billion over a 15-month period ending June 2021 to help more than 100 countries protect the poor and vulnerable, support businesses and bolster economic recovery. The amount includes $50 billion of new International Development Association resources through grants and highly concessional loans and $12 billion for developing countries to finance the purchase and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines.
Moody’s affirms Baa2 FDA taps firm to streamline rating of Security Bank license-to-operate requests
M
oody ’s Investor Service on Thursday announced that it is keeping its investment grade credit rating of Baa2 for Security Bank with a stable outlook. Moody’s said they kept Security Bank’s ratings and stable outlook as the bank displayed strength from its robust capitalization and stable profitability despite economic disruptions from the pandemic. A stable outlook from a major credit watcher means the ratings agency expects no significant changes in the bank’s credit rating in the 12 to 18 months. Security bank’s Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) capital ratio increased to 19.1 percent as of 30 September 2020 from 17.1 percent a year earlier. CET 1 is considered the highest quality among instruments eligible as bank capital. Also, as of end-September, Security Bank’s shareholders’ capital hit 124 billion, up 5 percent from year-ago level. Its total Capital Adequacy Ratio has increased to 19.9 percent from
18 percent a year ago. The bank’s total assets stood at P651 billion. Moody’s recent move for Security Bank is in contrast with its latest decision for Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) and Philippine National Bank (PNB), where they reverted the banks’ “stable” outlook to “negative” to reflect coronavirus-induced economic shocks on local enterprises. A negative outlook means these banks could be up for a downgrade in the next 12 to 18 months, depending on their conditions upon reassessment. “Our strong capital position is an important pillar which both our clients and employees can rely upon to weather the challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic,” Security Bank President and CEO Sanjiv Vohra said. “That capital will be deployed to support our clients’ pandemic recovery efforts, employee health & safety initiatives, and investments in systems and technology to deliver better banking,” he added. Bianca Cuaresma
P
AYMENT collection business CIS Bayad Center Inc. announced it was tapped by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as part of its growing biller network, fast-tracking the application and renewal of license-to-operate permits, as well as product registration for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). “With the new partnership, SME owners can now pay their application fee and accomplish their license-to-operate application and product registration in over 40,000 Bayad Center touchpoints nationwide,” the company said. “With SMEs comprising 99 percent of all registered businesses in the country, this payment solution from Bayad Center and FDA provides greater accessibility, convenience, and security for thousands of Filipino entrepreneurs.” The company added it sees the “collaborative effort” as “a response as the country grapples with the coronavirus quarantine restrictions, actively discouraging people to travel far and minimize human contact.” The recently held virtual signing ceremony was led by Bayad Center President and CEO Lawrence Y. Ferrer, COO and Senior Vice President Francispito P. Quevedo, together with several officials from the FDA headed by Director General Dr. Rolando Enrique D. Domingo and FDA Deputy Director General for Internal Management Ronaldo R. De Veyra. “As the vanguards of health mandated by the government to ensure the safety of food products, pharmaceutical, cosmetics,
household urban hazardous substances, household urban pesticides, toys and child care articles and medical devices in the market, we are very happy to partner with Bayad Center and offer a new venue for our clients to complete their application and post their payments,” Domingo was quoted in the statement as saying. “We are certain that this effort will streamline the current process and will translate to better services to the public and better availability of FDAapproved health products.” Currently, there are approximately half-abillion items registered and 80,000 establishments with licenses to operate in the FDA, the agency said. The FDA added that the number of new registrations and renewals are likely to continue increasing with payment transactions made easier and even during the pandemic. “Bayad Center believes that this partnership underscores our longstanding commitment to bring efficient and reliable payment financial solutions, not only for household and personal bills, but now for business applications and licenses that will help empower Filipino entrepreneurs operate more efficiently especially in this new environment we are adapting to,” Ferrer was quoted in the statement as saying. “By providing additional payment channels for FDA, individuals who aim to start or grow their businesses can save time and energy since payments are now more accessible and convenient through our centers and authorized partners.”
Bitcoin surpasses $21,000 for first time amid eye-popping rally this year
B
itcoin surpassed $21,000 for the first time, another milestone in what’s been an eye-popping rally for the controversial digital asset this year. The world’s largest cryptocurrency surged as much as 10 percent to $21,293 in New York on Wednesday, vindicating forecasts that were scoffed at months ago and leading to even higher prognostications. Bitcoin has almost tripled this year, with the rally accelerating Wednesday after breaching $20,000 earlier for the first time. “We have a new line in the sand
and the focus shifts to the next round number of $30,000,” said Antoni Trenchev, co-founder and managing partner of Nexo, a crypto lender. This “is the start of a new chapter for Bitcoin. It’s a narrative the media and retail crowd can properly latch onto because they’ve been noticeably absent from this rally.”
Bitcoin crosses $20,000
Bitcoin has surged despite a severe crash in March that saw it lose 25 percent amid the coronavirus pandemic. Proponents have seized on the narrative that the coin could
act as a store of wealth amid supposed rampant central-bank money printing, even as inflation remains mostly muted. In addition, some Wall Street firms have taken a greater interest, with many seeking to capitalize on its gains in a world of rock-bottom interest rates. Guggenheim Partners Llc, for instance, recently said it might invest up to 10 percent of its $5.3 billion Macro Opportunities Fund in a Bitcoin trust. Bitcoin’s cross above the $20,000 and $21,000 levels were its latest milestones in recent weeks—the
coin at the end of November reached a new high three years after setting a prior peak. It had traded at a few cents for several years after its late 2008 launch by an unknown software developer in the wake of the global financial crash. “People tend to pile into momentum trades, so Bitcoin could have more upside from here,” said Ed Campbell, portfolio manager and managing director at QMA. Peer coins also rose on Wednesday, with the Bloomberg Galaxy Crypto Index—which tracks some of the major cryptocurrencies—gain-
ing as much as 7.2 percent. Dash and Litecoin each advanced at least 6 percent. Ether, the second-largest digital asset, after Bitcoin, rose as much as 6.9 percent, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, so much so that cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase said it was experiencing congestion issues and delays in sending the token. Customers logged complaints about the service on the Downdetector web site, which tracks outages. The rally follows an announcement by the CME Group Inc. that
it has plans to expand its suite of cryptocurrency derivatives offerings to include Ether futures beginning in February. To Meltem Demirors, chief strategy officer at CoinShares, Bitcoin’s cross above $20,000 marks an important psychological milestone. “The biggest thing is the macroeconomic conditions—this is the perfect setup for Bitcoin,” she said by phone. “From here things are going to move very quickly and I wouldn’t be surprised if we touched $35,000 in the next three to six months.” Bloomberg News
B4
Relationships
Friday, December 18, 2020 • Editor: Gerard S. Ramos
BusinessMirror
There’s no place like home for the holidays—and that’s what makes the pandemic’s winter surge particularly devastating By Frank T. McAndrew Knox College
W
HILE Christmas playlists often include cheesy favorites like “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” there are also a handful of wistful tracks that go a little bit deeper. Listen closely to “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” or “White Christmas,” and you’ll hear a deep yearning for home and sorrow at having to spend the holidays somewhere else. During no holiday season in recent memory have these songs resonated so deeply with so many. The pandemic has upended holiday traditions, and for those who eagerly anticipate annual visits to their hometowns to celebrate with loved ones, the cancellations of these plans are yet another blow to endure in a long, grinding year. Strip away the cursory Christmas rituals—the TV specials, the lights, the gifts, the music—and what remains is home. It is the beating heart of the holiday, and its importance reflects our primal need to have a meaningful relationship with a setting—a place that transcends the boundary between the self and the physical world. Most of us can probably name at least one place we feel an emotional connection to. But you probably don’t realize just how much a place can influence your sense of who you are, or how essential it is for your psychological well-being. Psychologists even possess an entire vocabulary for the affectionate bonds between people and places: There’s “topophilia,” “rootedness” and “attachment to place,” which are all used to describe the feelings of comfort and security that bind us to a place. Your fondness for a place—whether it’s the house where you lived your whole life, or the fields and woods where you played as a child—can even mimic the affection you feel for other people. Studies have shown that a forced relocation can elicit heartbreak and distress every bit as intense as the loss of a loved one. Another study found that if you feel a strong
attachment to your town or city, you’ll be more satisfied with your house and you’ll also be less anxious about your future. Our physical surroundings play an important role in creating meaning and organization in our lives; much of how we view our lives and what we have become depends on where we’ve lived, and the experiences we’ve had there. So it’s no surprise that architecture professor Kim Dovey, who has studied the concept of home and the experience of homelessness, confirmed that where we live is closely tied to our sense of who we are. At the same time, the concept of home can be slippery. One of the first questions we ask when we meet someone new is “Where are you from?” But we seldom pause to consider how complicated that question is. Does it mean where you currently live? Where you were born? Where you grew up? Environmental psychologists have long understood that the word “home” clearly connotes more than just a house. It encompasses people, places, objects and memories. So what or where, exactly, do people consider “home”? A 2008 Pew study asked people to identify “the place in your heart you consider to be home.” Twentysix percent reported that home was where they were born or raised; only 22 percent said that it was where they currently lived. Eighteen percent identified home as the place that they had lived the longest, and 15 percent felt that it was where most of their extended family had come from. But if you look at different cultures across time, a common thread emerges. No matter where they come from, people tend to think about home as a central place that represents order, a counterbalance to the chaos that exists elsewhere. This might explain why, when asked to draw a picture of “where you live,” children and adolescents around the world invariably place their house in the center of the sheet of paper. In short, it’s what everything else revolves around. During the holidays, we might not officially bless our home like they do in certain communities. But our
Pastry Chef Lovely Jiao
An ideal gift would be the Merry Sampler of 4s, which incorporates favorites, such as the Almond Praline Chocolate Cake, Cream Puff, Brownie Cheesecake and Peach and Mango Tres Leches into one package. Another take-home delight is the Christmas Cookie-Do, inclusive of big cinnamon cookies, colored piping bags and sprinkle sets that allows the kids to decorate their own. “We love to challenge ourselves with pieces never thought of before. We love to take that opportunity to make each celebration truly unique and a showpiece through confectionery,” Chef Lovely shared. Armed with her culinary degree
Today’s Horoscope By Eugenia Last
z
CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Christina Aguilera, 40; Katie Holmes, 42; Brad Pitt, 57; Steven Spielberg, 74. Happy Birthday: Pick up the pace, and strive to turn this year into something special. Focus on your health, well-being and stature. Evaluate the past, then take all your best qualities, skills and experience and find a way to make your dreams come true. You’ll have the discipline to achieve things you never thought possible. Trust and believe in yourself. Your numbers are 3, 16, 20, 27, 32, 38, 47.
a
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You are heading into an upswing that can change your life forever. Whether you decide to learn something new, change your job or make a move that supports a better lifestyle, the result will favor you. HHHH
holiday traditions probably sound familiar: eating with family, exchanging gifts, catching up with old friends and visiting old haunts. These homecoming rituals affirm and renew a person’s place in the family, and often are a key way to strengthen the family’s social fabric. Home, therefore, is a predictable and secure place where you feel in control and properly oriented in space and time; it is a bridge between your past and your present, an enduring tether to your family and friends. It is a place where, as the poet Robert Frost aptly wrote, “When you have to go there, they have to take you in.” THE CONVERSATION
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Be careful not to take on more than you can handle. A project you take on will lead to uncertainty if you don’t understand what’s expected of you before you begin. Ask questions to avoid being put in an awkward position. HH
Eco-friendly paperless initiative
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Pay more attention to learning, advancement and personal growth. Look for alternative lifestyles that offer less stress and more time to focus on what you enjoy doing. Look for opportunities, and don’t hesitate when something good comes along. HHH
AS part of its commitment to protecting the health and safety of its customers, AXA Philippines, one of the country’s leading insurance providers, will implement an eco-friendly paperless initiative to minimize physical document touch points starting December 1, 2020. The company will promote contactless delivery as it transitions to fully paperless issuance of statements and notices. The company will no longer be mailing hardcopies of documents through courier or post, and will start sending digital copies through customers’ valid e-mail address registered with AXA Philippines instead. This would include premium notices, anniversary statements, policy endorsements as applicable, and all other policy-related communication and documents. Customers may view their policy information through the Emma by AXA app at bit.ly/emmabyaxa. A free smartphone app version is available at the Google Play Store or App Store. Customers can easily update their e-mail addresses by logging in to the MyAXA web portal at www.axa.com.ph/myaxa or filling out the online form at cloud.mkt.axa.com.ph/emma-contact-info-update.
Home-based chef-mom launches pastries and more for the holidays ENHANCE your festive yuletide spread with holiday-themed treats from Sugarplum Pastries, a home-based baking endeavor that specializes in personalized cakes and cupcakes. All created with love by Pastry Chef Lovely Jiao, she supplies regular clientele with custom 8-foot tower creations and buffet selections of pops and shots, cheesecake shortcrusts, macarons and truffle bites, which are all party mainstays. This year, Chef Lovely features her seasonal best sellers, including meringue Christmas trees, gingerbread houses, sugar cookies, gelatin snow globes and cookie lanterns.
www.businessmirror.com.ph
from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, backed up by experience at the Makati Shangri-La and F1 Hotel Taguig, instead of climbing the ladder in the hotel kitchen industry, she decided to become a hands-on mom for her growing son. So in 2011, Chef Lovely established her very own brand and launched Sugarplum Pastries. During this pandemic, Chef Lovely’s team has worked on strengthening their dessert commissary through their newly launched brand Taste Buds, which supplies selections of breads, cakes and pastry needs to restaurants and cafés. More information is available at www.sugarplumpastries.com.
b c
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Someone will let you down if you believe everything you hear. Show compassion, but don’t take on troubles that don’t belong to you. Focus on what you want and how best to achieve your goals. HHHHH
d
e
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Focus on exercising, finishing a project or making plans with someone special. An energetic approach to life and love will lead to positive changes, and the chance to start something new. HHH
f
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Someone close to you will withhold information that can affect a decision you are trying to make. Look for expert advice, and you’ll avoid being manipulated by someone looking out for his or her interests. HHH
g
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Too much or too little will lead to trouble. Look at the choices you have and weigh the pros and cons carefully. Don’t feel you have to act in haste. Time spent with someone you love will ease stress. HHHHH
h
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Slow down, take a deep breath and rethink your plans. A creative outlet will open your mind to options you haven’t considered. You may desire change, but it has to be the right move if you want to pursue your dreams. HH
i
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Put your plans in motion. You’ll have what it takes to win favors and persuade others to invest time and money in what you want to pursue. Love and romance are encouraged, and a promise someone makes will change your life. HHHH
j
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Align yourself with people who share your work ethic, and strive to reach a common goal. Set up a space at home that caters to health and fitness, personal growth and advancement. Plan something special with someone you love. HHH
k
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Stop worrying about what others are doing, and concentrate on your pursuits. How you approach a project will determine the outcome. Put greater emphasis on taking physical action and getting things done. Concrete results will impress someone you want on your team. HHH
l
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t trust a peer who is competing with you. Be secretive about your intentions, and don’t share your ideas until you are ready to present what you have to offer. A change made in haste will lead to unexpected setbacks. HHH Birthday Baby: You are dynamic, engaging and playful. You are disciplined and resourceful.
‘fuzzy math’ by jack mowat The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg
ACROSS 1 Valley of vineyards 5 Phased-out SeaWorld attraction 10 “Uhh...” 13 Apple debut of 2010 14 Focus intensely (on) 16 ___ Paulo 17 Calculation for a modeling agent? 19 Expert 20 “You ___ busted!” 21 Made king, say 23 Fourth qtr. followers 24 Exactly right 28 Shape of a fisheye lens picture 29 Calculation for an economist? 32 Bake sale organizer, for short 34 Some small batteries 35 Respected villager 36 Chewy candy filling 38 Sea swirls 39 Kind of bond in a salt molecule 40 Fedora feature 43 Silent affirmative 44 Calculation for a botanist?
7 To and ___ 4 48 Nucleic acid sugar 49 Diagram in a fantasy novel, often 52 Sweatshirts, sweatpants and sweat suits 54 Andean animal 56 Instant messaging pioneer 57 Calculation for a personal trainer? 61 Buddy 62 “Business in the front” hairdo 63 Not coarse, as sand 64 Otherworldly visitors, briefly 65 Young children 66 IDs on social media DOWN 1 Hello, in Shanghai 2 Dating long-distance, maybe 3 Pieces of glass 4 Contributes (to) 5 Bay Area airport code 6 That stag 7 Chopping tool: Var. 8 Nebraska’s Herbie Husker and others
9 180-degree maneuvers 10 Home of “SportsCenter AllNight” 11 Uncommon group 12 Lighting might help set it 15 Genre related to goth 18 Classic fountain drink 22 “___ It Be Nice” (Beach Boys song) 25 The “E” of 30-Down 26 Letters before an alter ego 27 Smuggler-stopping org. 29 ___ Line (French fortification) 30 Abbr. in a proof 31 24/7 med. centers 32 Wet noodle, say? 33 Sushi items with pink centers 36 Coldness in the air 37 H.S. exam with a Science section 38 Australian birds 40 Like many a brush 41 Burglarize 42 Words of commitment 45 Like flowers that come in vases 46 One may hail from Wales 49 Sasha’s sister
0 In the thick of 5 51 Apple alternative to Word 52 Lead-in to “Canaveral” or “Cod” 53 Hawaiian pizza meat 55 Rideshare company with a pink logo 58 Type 59 Capital of Vermont? 60 “___ showtime!” Solution to yesterday’s puzzle:
Show BusinessMirror
www.businessmirror.com.ph
FKA twigs sues Shia LaBeouf, alleging abusive relationship
L
By Andrew Dalton The Associated Press
OS ANGELES—Singer FKA twigs filed a lawsuit on Friday alleging that Shia LaBeouf was physically and emotionally abusive during their relationship from 2018 to 2019, saying her experience was part of a pattern of terrorizing women for the 34-year-old actor. “Shia LaBeouf hurts women,” the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court said in its opening lines. “He uses them. He abuses them, both physically and mentally. He is dangerous.” FKA twigs—a 32-year-old British singer and actress whose legal name is Tahliah Barnett—alleges in the lawsuit that LaBeouf left her in a constant state of fear and humiliation, once slammed her into a car, tried to strangle her and knowingly gave her a sexually transmitted disease. An e-mail sent to a representative seeking comment from LaBeouf was not immediately returned, but in an e-mail to The New York Times the actor said: “I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalizations. I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years. I have a history of hurting the people closest to me. I’m ashamed of that history and am sorry to those I hurt.” The two met and became a couple after Barnett was cast in Honey Boy, an autobiographical film about LaBeouf’s upbringing as a child actor that portrayed his father as abusive but loving. Barnett had a supporting role alongside LaBeouf. After what the lawsuit described as an early “charm offensive,” LaBeouf convinced Barnett to move in with him, leading to what the lawsuit characterized as a “living nightmare.” LaBeouf isolated FKA twigs from family and friends, demanding absolute fealty, and constant verbal abuse led to several physical attacks on her, the lawsuit claimed. He was ferociously jealous of everyone from waiters she was polite with to her ex-fiance, actor Robert Pattinson, the lawsuit alleged. On a Valentine’s Day getaway in 2019, FKA twigs awoke to LaBeouf choking her and she was paralyzed with fear, the lawsuit said. He later drove wildly and threatened to crash his car if she didn’t profess eternal love for him and she feared for her life, the lawsuit claimed. When she tried to get out of the car and get away from her at a gas station, he slammed her against the car, tried to strangle her, and forced her to get back in, the lawsuit said. When she was attempting to end the relationship and leave him the following month, he violently grabbed her and lifted her off the ground as she was attempting to depart, according to a housekeeper who witnessed the incident and was cited in the lawsuit. The lawsuit also alleged that LaBeouf knowingly gave her an unspecified sexually transmitted disease that he went to great lengths to hide from her for much of their relationship, including his use of makeup. LaBeouf kept guns in the house where they were living and he sometimes slept with them, putting Barnett in a constant state of fear,” the lawsuit said.
• Friday, December 18, 2020
Upstream partners with GMovies for new cinema experience MANY will agree watching a movie in a theater is an experience on its own. But with most cinemas still off-limits to moviegoers given the pandemic, people have to find creative ways to recreate this experience in their own homes. One great way to do so is with Upstream, a transactional video on demand (TVOD) platform created by Filipinos, for Filipinos. The service has partnered with the country’s leading digital booking platform for on ground and online cinematic experiences, GMovies, to introduce a new and affordable viewing experience to Filipinos anywhere they are in the world. The partnership will showcase Filipino-made films alongside international films and more mainstream titles in line with its objective to give local producers a space to ensure that their content reaches a wider audience. With easy access and affordable ticket prices, more viewers have the chance to discover a whole new world of films with their families right at home. In line with championing the Filipino spirit, Upstream and GMovies are extending help to the victims of Typhoons Rolly and Ulysses via its launch by donating to Ayala Foundation’s Project Pananagutan. Those who are interested to donate can also do so by visiting www.ayalafoundation.org/donate or through GCash and the Globe Rewards app. Moreover, the partnership will be the exclusive streaming venue for the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2020 starting on December 25. Through Upstream and GMovies, Globe enables Filipinos to recreate how they enjoy movies from home. As a telco company that bridges content creators and consumers, Globe supports the battle against piracy to protect the entertainment industry. In conjunction with the #PlayItRight campaign, the Upstream platform is poised to deliver a better viewing experience for customers while protecting the content creators’ digital rights.
TOM CRUISE
FKA twigs and Shia LaBeouf
She made several attempts to leave him that he resisted, but he later ended the relationship himself, the lawsuit said. Karolyn Pho, a stylist who LaBeouf dated in 2010 and 2011, said in the lawsuit that she received similar treatment from LaBeouf—including constant threats and humiliation that sometimes escalated to physical violence. The lawsuit said Pho allied herself with Barnett in an attempt to protect women from LaBeouf, although Pho is not listed as a plaintiff. LaBeouf told The New York Times that many allegations in the lawsuit and from other women who spoke about him with the newspaper for its report “are not true” but added that he owed the women “the opportunity to air their statements publicly and accept accountability for those things I have done.” He did not tell the newspaper which allegations he contests. LaBeouf said he is in recovery and therapy over alcoholism and PTSD, saying he “will forever be sorry
to the people that I may have harmed along the way.” LaBeouf is known for his intensity as an actor, and sometimes self-lacerating public performances. He first gained fame as a teenager on the Disney Channel show Even Stevens, and is best known for his roles in 2007’s Transformers and in 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. He has had several run-ins with the law during his career, including a 2017 New York City arrest for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct that was captured on a livestreamed video. He was sent to court-mandated rehabilitation. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to be determined at trial. Barnett said in the lawsuit that she will donate a significant part of any money received to a charity for abused women. “This action has been brought not for personal gain, but to set the record straight, and to help ensure that no more women undergo the abuse that Shia LaBeouf has inflicted on his previous romantic partners,” the lawsuit said. n
Richard Yap starts journey with GMA ACTOR, singer, model, content creator and businessman Richard Yap has signed a management contract with GMA Artist Center (GMAAC), beginning his journey on GMA. Present during the contractsigning were GMA Senior Vice President for Entertainment Group Lilybeth G. Rasonable, GMAAC Assistant Vice President and Head for Talent Imaging and Marketing Unit Simoun Ferrer, GMAAC Senior Talent Manager Joy Marcelo, and Richard’s comanager Kate Valenzuela. Richard expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome: “I’m actually quite overwhelmed as I never thought this would come about. Now that it’s finally here, I am just so happy and so thankful to become a part of the Kapuso family.” He also teased his fans for a muchanticipated comeback on TV. As he begins his journey with GMA, he will soon be starring in an episode of the
Editor: Gerard S. Ramos
RICHARD YAP
well-loved comedy anthology Dear Uge Presents and the late-night comedyvariety program The Boobay and Tekla Show. He is also set to top-bill an upcoming primetime series next year. He also promised the audience that they can expect a lot from
him in his new home: “Expect the unexpected? I guess you can expect me to try and experiment into other genres other than the ones that I’ve done before.” Richard added that he is eager to work with various GMA stars,
including Marian Rivera, Heart Evangelista, Solenn Heusaff, Andrea Torres, his good friend Jean Garcia, and Michael V. During the contract-signing, Rasonable happily shared the news about Richard’s move: “Siyempre, we’re very happy, mere days before Christmas, we have something really nice to impart to our viewers na mayroon tayong bagong member ng ating Kapuso family, ng GMA Artist Center. Next year, you can expect him to be on prime time, and we’re already cooking up a soap opera for him with our Kapuso artists.” Meanwhile, Ferrer is delighted to welcome Richard to GMAAC and plans to further flourish the actor’s career in the network, “We are thrilled to have Richard join our roster of talents as we’re very aware of what he’s capable of as an actor. It excites us to see his versatility in future shows.”
On a mission: Tom Cruise insists on social distancing on set LONDON—Tom Cruise has launched an expletiveladen rant at colleagues on the set of his latest Mission: Impossible movie, after he reportedly spotted two workers failing to respect social distancing rules. In audio released by the Sun tabloid, the 58-yearold Hollywood star can be heard warning that anyone caught not following the rules to stay at least 2 meters (more than 6.5 feet) away from others will be fired. “If I see you doing it again, you’re f—ing gone and if anyone on this crew does it, that’s it,” he is heard saying on the audio recorded during filming in Britain. “That’s it. No apologies.” During his outburst at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, which is around 30 miles (around 50 kilometers) north of London, Cruise catalogued the difficulties he and everyone in the film industry are facing during the coronavirus pandemic. The timing of the outburst was not clear, though the Sun said production of the movie returned to Britain two weeks ago. Many movies have either been delayed until after the pandemic is over or because of Covid-related delays on set, including the seventh installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise. During his outburst, Cruise notes the higher costs for insuring a movie in these times. He also voices his concerns about the direct impact on families and their ability to pay bills if the movie shuts down. “That’s what I sleep with every night,” he said. “Do you understand the responsibility that you have?” Cruise’s publicist didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. AP
B5
B6 Friday, December 18, 2020
Security Bank champions women empowerment
Premium olive oil in new bottle designs, same quality and health benefits
T
HE nourishment that we’re craving right now is all about healthy, affordable, and easy to create home-cooked meals. And why not? In this period of the new normal, most people will agree that cooking is a way we can bring some order and a sense of pleasure in our lives right now. Whether you’ve been looking for ways on how to cook deliciously affordable meals or wanting to feel empowered in the kitchen, Doña Elena, the country’s
no. 1 olive oil inspires you with some thoughtful ideas that won’t only sustain, but will also bring comfort during this time of corona. Celebrated for its perfected combination of premium-quality olives directly sourced and harvested from the farms of Andalucia in Spain, Doña Elena Olive Oil has been dominating the market for a full decade now. We break down what makes Doña Elena Olive Oil the ideal choice in preparing
home-cooked, restaurant-quality meals that will inspire you to cook healthily at home! Extracted from the fruit of olive trees, olive oil defines the Mediterranean diet. Countries like Spain and Greece that have it as part of their native cuisine touts some of the world’s healthiest populations, thanks in large part to the health benefits of olive oil. Doña Elena’s offerings are rich in good fats and oxidants through the combination of two types of olives, hojiblanca and picual. Each bottle contains 80% monounsaturated oleic acids, which is proven to regulate insulin and support weight management according to research. The heart-friendly fat is also known for supporting the health of the heart and enhancing brain function. These two organs could be hit by COVID-19, studies say. Doña Elena Olive Oil comes loaded with high levels of antioxidants like polyphenols and is packed with vitamins E, K, and A that helps lower bad cholesterols. It comes in three variants: Extra Virgin for dips and salad dressing; Pure Olive Oil for pasta and everyday cooking; and Pomace for roasting and frying. Available in comprehensive sizes and new look, Doña Elena bottle are recognizable for patrons and accommodating for first-time users. A renowned French designer was tasked in 2017 to create a new bottle befitting a well-loved premium quality product. The new packaging includes two significant, fine engravings on the bottle that are exclusively Doña Elena: the Doña Elena insignia near the top, and the olive fruit near the base. Another detail that customers enjoy is the usage recommendation per variant that is printed on the label, making it easier to choose the right olive oil for your cooking needs. Available at all groceries and supermarkets nationwide, it ia also offered online beginning November 20 at www.AceMarket.ph.
P&G wins three PANAta Awards for courage, authenticity and creative effectiveness amid challenging pandemic
P
ROCTER & Gamble Philippines’ BIDA sa BAHAY music video and marketing campaign in support of DOH's BIDA Solusyon sa COVID-19 won this year’s PANAta Awards for special award called “Gawad Pandayon” in three categories. Gawad Pandayon is awarded to campaigns that “stood out amid these challenging times, provided inspiration and stimulus with their authentic voice and creative campaign execution and served as a beacon of hope for consumers and an anchor for other brands to emulate”. Held online for the first time via the official PANA Youtube and Facebook channels and simulcasted on official partner pages, PANAta Awards is the annual prestigious awards show by the Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA). The PANAta Awards regularly celebrates and recognizes brands and industry movers who have successfully launched outstanding and meaningful works for its consumers, customers and the country. P&G received 2 silvers and 1 bronze for Courage, Creative Effectiveness, and Authenticity categories under Gawad Pandayon, making P&G the only company to win across all categories for the special award. The BIDA sa Bahay music video and campaign is recognized for its record view through rate and engagement for its material, reaching millions of Filipinos across Facebook, YouTube, and television, and soon will reach more students and families with its
A
SIAMONEY, one of the world’s most trusted financial publications, recognized Security Bank Corporation (SBC) for championing women in the workplace. Security Bank ranked highest among Asian banks and Philippine banks in terms of the number of women in senior management positions, with 58% of women employees holding senior positions. Meanwhile, Security Bank ranked second in the country and fifth in Asia, with 68% of the total workforce being women. “Our BetterBanking promise is for all, regardless of one’s background or gender. We value diversity and inclusivity in the organization. Security Bank has always been an advocate of women empowerment. This is evident in the decision-making process, organization policies, employee engagement, and the causes we support,” said SBC EVP & Head of Retail Banking Segment Maki Tingson. Asiamoney’s Leaders for Women survey recognized banks that have done the most to encourage women in the workplace across Asia’s financial markets based on the data received from nearly 60 financial institutions. Studies have begun to report that more gender diversity, particularly in corporate settings, increases the possibility of better productivity, innovation, and decision making. More inclusive companies also report higher employee retention and satisfaction. Aside from upholding women within the organization, Security Bank also champions
MAKI Tingson, EVP & Head of Retail Banking Segment
women empowerment in communities as shown through the advocacies and programs it has supported over the past couple of years. “We partner with organizations and support causes that recognize women’s potential across industries. This is also one of the ways we stay true to our mission to enrich lives, empower businesses, and build communities,” Tingson added. Recently, Security Bank was one of the sponsors of PeopleAsia’s Men Who Matter X Women of Style & Substance 2020, an awards program that honors trailblazers and individuals who have been making a mark in various fields. Security Bank is also a longtime partner of the Zonta Club & Environs Foundation, an organization of executives and professionals empowering women worldwide.
eCloudvalley awarded as AWS Consulting Partner of the Year in the ASEAN Region
A
MAZON Web Services (AWS) announced eCloudvalley Technology as the winner of the 2020 “AWS Consulting Partner of the Year” award, recognizing high performing partners in ASEAN that are helping customers drive innovation on AWS Cloud. “The key to our achievement is customer obsession,” said Jonathan Que, Country Manager of eCloudvalley Philippines. “At a time when businesses across the region needed help the most, eCloudvalley was determined to help organizations navigate the most challenging economic environment in recent history through the power of digital transformation.” Each year, AWS honors partners in their channel community that are leaders in helping their customers drive innovation in the business. AWS has a thriving community of consulting partners across ASEAN region, and earning this award is a recognition of eCloudvalley’s deep knowledge about business needs and solutions that can be curated through AWS technologies and services. “The ASEAN APN Partner Awards recognize a wide range of born-in-thecloud and traditional APN Consulting
and Technology Partners whose business models have embraced specialization and collaboration. Their recent success is testimony to their passion and dedication to providing customers with innovative cloud solutions," said Conor McNamara, Managing Director, AWS ASEAN. eCloudvalley is committed to helping businesses, regardless of size and industry, on their cloud journey. Being a high performing AWS consulting partner, eCloudvalley ensures that every member of the organization continuously builds capabilities and specializations to ensure that every customer has the right expertise and resource handling their specific use case. Currently, the company holds more than 10 competencies on AWS with a strong focus on Migration, Data and Analytics, SAP, Managed Services, and DevOps. Since its founding in 2014, eCloudvalley has expanded rapidly and now has 15 offices across the globe, including one in the Philippines established in 2017. “Our work in the Philippines has enabled many local companies to bring their businesses to the cloud and help them transform their data into actionable insights through our expertise in migration and data and analytics. During these pandemic times, these strategic moves by local businesses enabled us to help them save over 30% on total cost of ownership after migrating to the cloud and harness the use of data to make informed business decisions,” shared Que.
Sun Life expects U-shaped recovery, advises investors to stay the course
S
P&G’s BIDA sa Bahay song and music video is positive, catchy and the first and only music-based video during its time of release, making it a stand-out and an effective educational material for enabling Filipinos to practice good home hygiene habits.
inclusion into DepEd’s blended learning activities. P&G’s music video is positive, catchy and the first and only music-based video during its time of release, making it a stand-out and an effective educational material for enabling Filipinos to practice good home hygiene habits. P&G’s BIDA sa Bahay initiative has also enlisted different partner supermarkets and sari-sari stores to promote the “BIDA” or anti-COVID preventive messages and protocols in their stores to remind onground shoppers. On top of its education and information materials, P&G was able to donate thousands of BIDA Home
Hygiene kits to households all over the country, empowering communities and helping the government in the nation’s fight against COVID-19. This recognition puts a stamp on P&G’s commitment to be a Force for Good as seen on its different initiatives with the leading consumer goods company’s trusted hygiene brands, marketing and media expertise, and partnerships over the months. P&G has also won Gold for PANAta’s Best Localized Ad category for its global heritage brand, Tide, with its effective regionalized brand growth and communications model in Mindanao.
UN Life Philippines is expecting the Philippine economy to have a U-shaped type of recovery and a return to trend line growth in the next two years. This is according to Sun Life Chief Investments Officer Mike Enriquez who recently presented his market outlook for the year 2021. “Based on latest GDP forecasts, we are anticipating a 4% to 5% growth for 2021. The full year 2020 GDP is projected at -.8%, which implies an estimated -5.7% in the fourth quarter of 2020,” he said. “The year 2021 has potential to be a strong recovery year, but only if a fiscal stimulus is passed early and it impacts households.” As for BSP policy rates, Enriquez sees one more cut of 25 basis points for the coming year to further provide liquidity in the system. While major economies have started to re-open, financial markets rebounding from their recent lows and sentiment changing from fear to fear-of-missing-out, Enriquez sees volatility persisting in the coming year. Enriquez advises investors to stay committed to their financial goals. “The economy is not where we want it to be just yet, but a recovery is in the horizon as it always is after a period of recession,” he said. “By riding the wave of volatility, investors can reap the rewards later on.” Sun Life Asset Management Company, Inc. (SLAMCI) offers a wide range of funds that could match various risk profiles. For instance, those who can tolerate market
SUN Life CIO Mike Enriquez
fluctuations in exchange of potential high returns may opt to invest in the Sun Life Prosperity Equity Fund. Meanwhile, those who are keen to have a steady ride throughout his investing journey can opt to invest in the Sun Life Prosperity Money Market Fund or the Sun Life Prosperity Bond Fund. “No matter what direction an investor takes, what is important is that he commits to his financial goals and invests regularly and consistently,” Enriquez said. “Time in the market will pay off in the long run, so it is always best to stay the course.” Those who wish invest in the Sun Life Prosperity Funds may visit www.sunlifefunds.com or talk to a Sun Life financial advisor today.
Sports BusinessMirror
Editor: Jun Lomibao
T
UAAP hopeful for Season 84
I
F everything goes well next year, the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) will return to its normal September opening for Season 84. “Our target—but we haven’t really discussed it—is the usual opening around September 2021, if all goes well,” UAAP executive director Atty. Rebo Saguisag told an online news conference hosted by Cignal TV on Thursday. But Saguisag cautioned on the possibility that the Covid-19 pandemic would still prevail in the second half of 2021. “It will bring a lot of preparations and a lot more risks,” said Saguisag, adding that a more comfortable target date could be the last quarter of 2021. “Hopefully, the vaccines are here, we have better protocols and the situation improves.” The UAAP has already stricken off Season 83 because it would be impossible for the league to host games in a bubble, but De La Salle University remains as host of the coming season. “Historically when we stopped during World War II, the season went on [with its numeral order],” Saguisag said. “We are thinking of the health and safety of the players.” The UAAP and Cignal TV formally sealed a five-year broadcasting deal that expires in 2026. Present in the contract signing were PLDT Chairman and President Manuel V. Pangilinan, Smart Communications Inc. President and CEO Alfredo Panlilio, Smart Communications Inc. SVP/Head, Consumer Business-Wireless Jane Basas, Cignal TV and TV5 President and CEO Robert Galang and UAAP Board Of Trustees Chairman Brother Raymundo Suplido, FSC, President Emmanuel Calanog, Vice President Fr. Aldrin Suan, Treasurer and Chairman of the Negotiating Panel Edwin Reyes and Saguisag. Josef Ramos
Strava survey shows more women used bikes in 2020
EUMIR FELIX MARCIAL (left) and Andrew Whitfield show what sportsmanship means after their four-round duel.
T
By Josef Ramos
OKYO Olympics-bound Eumir Felix Marcial was calculating and composed in his professional debut and pummeled American Andrew Whitfield for a unanimous decision victory on Thursday in the Premier Boxing Champions promotion at the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles, California. There were no knockdowns in the fourrounder undercard but Marcial had a feast with
his jabs, straights and hooks to Whitfield’s head and body. Whitfield gamely absorbed everything that Marcial unleashed and went home nursing an ugly mouse in his right eye—not to mention a deflated ego by becoming Marcial’s first prey on his way to getting in harness for the Tokyo Olympics in July next year. “I tried to knock him out earlier but he was durable. I stalked him most of the time and hit him with those powerful punches,” Marcial
SOTTO BACK IN GILAS JERSEY
S
even-foot-TWO Zachary “Kai” Sotto will be playing for Gilas Pilipinas in the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) Asian Qualifiers third window in February at the Angeles University Foundation gym in a bubble setup at the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone in Pampanga. Sotto, who is presently training with the National Basketball Association’s G-League Select team in the United States, announced that he would be joining the national team in
a short video shown during an online news conference on Thursday. The men’s national basketball team is holding an unbeaten record of 3-0 in Group A. They will be facing South Korea twice and Indonesia once in the February tournament. An all-amateur team beat Thailand twice in the second window held recently in Bahrain. South Korea didn’t play in the second window because of the Covid-19 scare, but its expected to play in February. Josef Ramos
Asian Games: Doha 2030, Jeddah 2034
M
USCAT, Oman—The 2030 Asian Games were awarded to Doha on Wednesday and the 2034 event went to Riyadh after a deal was struck between the rival nations. The Qatari capital of Doha beat Saudi Arabian counterpart Riyadh for the 2030 Games in the vote at the Olympic Council of Asia’s (OCA) general assembly. The vote took place amid a bitter and long-running political dispute between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Saudi Arabia is one of four countries which has imposed a trade and travel boycott on Qatar since 2017, though
there have recently been indications the dispute could be resolved. The OCA reached a deal to vote on the 2030 host but to give the other candidate the 2034 event. “That means no winner, no loser,” OCA President Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah of Kuwait said, thanking the Saudi and Qatari foreign ministers and conference host Oman for helping to broker the agreement. “Thank you, Asia, for solidarity and coordination.” Qatari bid officials wore masks and waved flags as they celebrated together. Vote totals were not immediately announced. AP
Virtual cycling challenge on
P
RU Life UK is helping everyone finish the year healthy and fit with this year’s edition of PRURide PH—the inaugural PRURide Virtual Challenge on Pulse. Powered by Pulse, Pru Life UK’s all-inone health management app, the country’s largest cycling festival kicks off this month, enabling cyclists, enthusiasts and families to experience fun and safe cycling, wherever they are. The challenge flags off on Thursday and finishes on January 31 next year. Open to all Pulse users for free, PRURide PH has partnered with Garmin. By using Pulse-compatible wearables available on Android and iOS, such as the Garmin smartwatch, which can be easily synchronized with Pulse to track participants’ performances, even stationary bike users will be able to feel
S
A WOMAN cycles on a Brompton folding bicycle past a sign outside Waterloo Station reminding people they are required to wear face coverings inside the station and while traveling on trains in London. AP
B7
MARCIAL PLOWS WHITFIELD IN PRO DEBUT
Abap elated on Marcial victory HE Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (Abap) expressed elation over the win by national boxer-turned-professional Eumir Felix Marcial in his pro debut on Thursday against Andrew Whitfield in Los Angeles. “We expected no less from Eumir. His talent and skills carried him through,” Abap President Ricky Vargas said. “We are glad that he got time for staying active during this pandemic and it should help him when he focuses on training for the Tokyo Olympics.” “We’re happy for Eumir and we send our congratulations to him,” Abap SecretaryGeneral Ed Picson said. “We hope he can now consider rejoining the national team and focus on training for Olympic-style boxing.” The national boxing team is getting ready to return to training in a bubble environment. Irish Magno has also qualified for the Olympics while women’s world champion Nesthy Petecio, Rio 2016 Olympian Rogen Ladon and Filipino-British fighter John Marvin are targeting slots to the Games next year.
mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph | Friday, December 18, 2020
TRAVA released its global figures for 2020 and despite a year of cancelled events and global lockdowns, the number of cycling, running and walking activities uploaded around the world has seen a huge increase. Compared with the same period from 2019, figures have doubled, most noticeably in the United Kingdom (UK). From its 9 million UK users, Strava has seen the median number of activities uploaded by women aged between 18 and 29 rise by a massive 108 percent. On a global scale, from 1.1 billion activities uploaded by 75 million users, the same age group is up 45 percent year-on-year, while other age categories boomed by 52 and 65 percent. In contrast, the global rise from men in all age categories only rose by around 10 percent. The largest increase coming from the UK could likely be attributed to the slightly lighter restrictions during lockdown that allowed people to go outside for daily exercise. Simon Klima, Director of
the adrenaline rush of an official rider. “These challenging times have highlighted the benefits of cycling. Not only is the activity an antidote to our mostly sedentary lifestyle, but it is also an ideal mode of transportation that promotes social distancing,” Pru Life UK SVP and Chief Customer Marketing Officer Allan Tumbaga said. “These advantages encourage us to go ahead with our annual PRURide PH, but in a way that is more attuned to the new normal,” he added. To join the virtual rides, download the Pulse app for free on any Android and iOS device and sync it with a Pulse-compatible wearable. Within the app, users can choose and join one or multiple PRURide Virtual Challenges—30 kms, 60 kms, 500 kms and 1,000 kms. International Marketing at Strava, told The Guardian describing the increase as “nothing like we’ve seen before,” and proclaimed that these statistics far surpassed Strava’s projections. He acknowledged the huge role women had to play in this increase and attributed it in part to reduced traffic during the lockdown. “We’ve seen a real boost from women in terms of overall activity levels during the pandemic year,” Klima said. “There could be several reasons for that but in the past, our research has found that one of the biggest blocks for women to cycling is a perceived safety risk. But during the pandemic women perhaps felt safer to take to their bicycles, thanks to some temporary infrastructure improvements and quieter roads.” The number of women uploading cycling, running and walking activities wasn’t the only thing to surge in 2020. While the huge boost in numbers could largely come down to more people signing up for Strava accounts this year, Klima noted that the data also shows that on average, many of its long-term users significantly increased their activity this year compared to 2019. Cyclingnews
told a BusinessMirror through overseas call. “Despite his swollen face, he didn’t give up.” It was Marcial’s first fight in nine months since the Olympic qualifying tournament in Ammam, Jordan, in March. But he had all the confidence and support not to let the Philippines down with Hall of Famer Freddie Roach and Marvin Somodio working his corner. Marcial, 25, drew favorable 40-36 scores from American judges Don DeVerges, Ron Rabinowitz and Damian Walton. MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons said Marcial took his pro debut pretty well and that he should be proud of himself. “He [Whitfield] took toughness into another level. But it was a good experience for Eumir, a good experience heading to the road to Tokyo,” said Gibbons, adding Marcial was given by a clean bill of health by doctors who examined him after the fight.
Marcial threw 310 punches and landed 120, while Whitfield threw 273 and hit his target only 46 times. He said his right hand turned a bit sore in the fourth round when he tried to knock out his 29-year-old opponent who entered the ring armed with 40 mixed martial arts fights. “My hand [middle knuckle] went bit sore because Whitfield just wouldn’t go down. But my hand will be okay,” said the fighter from Zamboanga City, who sent his rival reeling to a 3-2 win-loss record with two knockouts. Marcial admitted he took the bout’s first punch as he tried to adjust to his lighter redwhite-and-blue gloves that bore his name. “I felt his punch in the first round because the gloves in the pros are lighter [10 oz] as compared to the amateur [12 oz],” he said. “He was prepared because we heard he knew about the fight since three months ago.”
Zamboanga, Fairtex praised
D
ENICE ZAMBOANGA and Stamp Fairtex, two of the best atomweight fighters in One Championship, continue to reap praises as up-and-coming mixed martial arts stars in Asia. Miesha Tate, former UFC women’s bantamweight champion and current One Championship vice president, showered praises on the women competing in the One Circle. “Honestly, I think a lot of the women have
yet to be discovered,” Tate told a podcast interview on the South China Morning Post. Zamboanga, currently No. 1 atomweight in One below reigning world champion Angela Lee, has been on an absolute tear since joining the promotion in 2019. The fiery Filipina, Tate said, is a talent worthy of attention. “I’m a huge fan of hers. I love her tenacity,”
“But at least I didn’t face an opponent who’ll take a punch and get knocked out,” he added. Gibbons, who was also at the Filipino’s corner in the fight staged in a bubble environment, said Marcial will take the next two weeks off for the holidays and will return to training on January 5. “We will spend the Christmas, go to places like the Grand Canyons, then return to training,” Gibbons said. “It was a great assessment, a great evening. Eumir got four rounds as a professional and now we’re back to focus on the Olympics Tokyo 2021.” Marcial entered the ring wearing a redwhite-blue-gold costume specially designed for him by Rey Mark Galarpe, his fiancé Princess Jenniel Galarpe’s brother. His trunks bore the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Air Force and MP Promotions logos with a golden image of the sun. Tate said of Zamboanga. “I feel like I see a little bit of Angela in her when she used to fight, like even myself.” Zamboanga’s close friend Fairtex also received nothing but kind words from Tate. Stamp is the former One atomweight muaythai and kickboxing world champion who has recently dedicated herself full time to a burgeoning MMA career. Tate believes both Zamboanga and Stamp could perform very well in the highly anticipated One Atomweight World Grand Prix in 2021.
Motoring BusinessMirror
B8 Friday, December 18, 2020
Editor: Tet Andolong
MAZDA INTRODUCES BUILD YOUR
PERSONAL MX-5 PROGRAM
N
THE MX-5 in Deep Crystal Blue Mica with Dark Cherry Top. MAZDA PHILIPPINES
Story by Randy S. Peregrino
OTHING is more satisfying for car enthusiasts than owning a brand-new car customized to own personal preference, much more if you are an avid MX-5 fan. Mazda Philippines recently kicked off the Build Your Personal MX-5 Program, which adds more value and prestige to the already intimate and proud ownership experience. Starting November this year, a total of 78 combinations were made available for the 2021 model MX-5 pre-orders. This program definitely provides that unique experience for MX-5 customers to fit their personal preferences from the transmission, exterior color, interior trim, a choice of a soft-top or retractable fastback, to even up to two different soft top color choices. So, imagine every MX-5 client having the freedom to customize their respective roadsters to what best represents their personality. The Mazda MX-5 is undoubtedly the most popular two-seater open-
top sports car globally, spreading driving joy and pleasure to more than a million owners since 1989. The current fourth-generation MX-5 continues to foster a unique bond with every owner as it delivers joy and fulfillment with every drive. Today, the ownership journey begins with an even more exciting process of personalizing one’s MX-5. What is new for the 2021MY model MX-5 are the available premiumgrade, six-speed manual transmission MX5 soft-top variants. Clients can now bask in luxurious leather seats, either in Red Nappa or Premium Black Leather, and relish a nine-Speaker BOSE Sound System. The standard for Premium Soft Top Manual Transmission is Bilstein Dampers and front strut bars. Another fresh for the 2021MY MX-5
Nlex-Gatchalian standoff; BMW R18 launched
A
S I write this, there was a deadlock between Nlex and Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian on the lifting or not of Nlex-owned RFID barriers installed at the Ilocandia-bound expressway. Gatchalian had earlier suspended Nlex’s RFID operations as a remedy to the kilometric-long traffic woes plaguing Valenzuela City for weeks caused mainly by technology glitches at the toll booths. The no-nonsense mayor said the granting of Nlex’s business permit to operate toll plazas in his city was but a privilege and it could be revoked anytime on grounds of poor service affecting the public. In their face-to-face meeting on December 14, Luigi Bautista, the Nlex president, told Gatchalian that safety is their reason to return the RFID barriers being raised at all times “as unauthorized vehicles without lights are able to go through the toll plazas…We cannot assure the safety of motorists.” Bautista added that free passage for motorists may be granted during “rush hours only.” In her Inquirer story, Meg Adonis quoted Gatchalian as telling Bautista: “So is safety not a problem during rush hours? You only like it when it’s convenient for you, but you don’t like it when it’s convenient for motorists.” Really, the mayor doesn’t mince words. Gatchalian also informed Bautista about reports that Easytrip accounts were charged after the Valenzuela government declared a “toll holiday” (no toll payments) starting December 7. Some motorists complained that their accounts were also charged even though they did not pass through toll plazas while the “toll holiday” was on. NLEX has promised to solve the RFID glitches by January 30, 2021. That long?
BMW R18 launch
THE digital launch on December 12 of the BMW R18 was a smashing success for its being very imaginative, innovative and well thought-out in terms of content, form and awareness in the two-wheel segment. Kudos to Spencer “ASY” Yu, the energetic president of SMC-BMW Philippines. His singular move to have Miss World 2019 Michelle Dee and San Miguel Corp. sports director Alfrancis Chua as models for the big bike bash put a superb dash of fresh breeze to an occasion that is usually bathed in run-of-the-mill drudgery. I liked it, loved it, when Michelle and my Tocayo Al each drove the R18 on real roads of the metropolis, their dramatic ride giving the presentation a huge lift in terms of breathing life into an iconic brand having its first fling with graphic glory. And did Tocayo Al, so smitten by the 1800-cc cruiser, really buy one right after the ride? Oh, well, at P1.9 M, that’s a steal, Tocayo! Cheers! By the way, here’s ASY’s closing remarks to the glitzy show, hatched with big help from Gil Balderas, Thea Geronimo, Nico Ylanan and Winda Payade. “You have just witnessed the Philippine reveal of the all-new BMW R18. “This is definitely the highlight of our 2020. “The all-new BMW R18 marks BMW Motorrad’s return to the cruiser segment. “Backed by almost 100 years of motorcycle heritage, and technology, the all-new BMW R18 is set to forge “a new path. “This amazing motorcycle captures the beautiful details of BMW’s Heritage bikes from decades ago, and seamlessly combines them with the advantages of modern technology. “From our largest ever 1,800cc boxer engine, the exposed drive shaft and clas-
Soft Top is a soft-top color, Dark Cherry, on top of the current classic black soft top. What is more, there is the new Deep Crystal Blue Mica body color. “Mazda is known for its beautifully designed, superior quality, and meticulously engineered cars. The distinctive and dynamic nature of Mazda Design has influenced us to be more creative in how we present our cars to our customers. That is why we are introducing the Build Your Personal MX-5 Program,” said Steven Tan, president, and CEO of Mazda Philippines. “By giving them the opportunity sic lines that harken back to the 1936 BMW R5, and the simple instrumentation and suite of riding technologies, the allnew BMW R18 is a cruiser that pays tribute to its predecessors while ensuring it stays true to the values of BMW Motorrad. “This perfect blend of style, comfort, and safety is set to not just capture the hearts of purists, but also tug at the heart strings of those looking for a thoroughly modern cruiser. “This BMW R18 is what everybody will expect from a BMW motorcycle. A perfectly engineered machine with design as its leading factor. “The all-new BMW R18 further strengthens our product presence in the Philippine market. It ensures that we have the most comprehensive motorcycle offerings in the premium segment. “Despite these challenging times, BMW remains dedicated to providing new and exciting riding and ownership experiences. “It is thanks to our loyal BMW customers and fans that we have remained dedicated to bringing in the latest models to Philippine shores. “With that, I’d like to personally thank each of you for joining us, and we look forward to seeing you at any of one of our dealerships nationwide. “Please stay safe and healthy, and remember to always ‘Make Life a Ride.’”
Raffles galore
PETRON is raffling off 50-percent discount sales today (December 18) for a minimum of 1-liter purchase at any station nationwide from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. To be raffled off December 19 is a Nintendo switch game, December 20 GoPro Hero 8 Action Camera, Dec. 21 Mountain Bike, Dec. 22 100 PVC points, December 23 Apple Ipad, December 24 GC P12K worth of groceries, December 25 one year of free fuel (P88K). Draw is on December 28. This promotion is exclusively for both Petron Value Card (PVC) and Super Driver Card (SDC) holders that can be bought for P50 each at any Petron station.
PEE STOP Happy birthday to Abel Manliclic, a fellow Pilgrim to the Holy Land last year, whose Tiong Baruh restaurants near MOA and at Commons Pasig serve one of the best Hainanese chickens in the land. Cheers! Hic!
IN gorgeous side pose.
to personally design and customize their very own MX-5 with our interactive online and showroom ordering guide, our clients will surely feel an even deeper and longer-lasting bond with their cars. This is a privilege previously found only in luxury sports car brands. And now, we make it available to Mazda clients who wish to create an even more personal MX-5 to suit their personality,” Tan added. The customized pre-order will
MAZDA PHILIPPINES
be initiated by a reservation fee in any of the 19 Mazda dealerships nationwide. Mazda Sales Consultants have been trained to handle client requests and orders through this program. Personalized orders are expected to take an average lead time of between four to six months from the order date to the actual delivery day, depending on production allocation capacity and shipping logistics timing. All Mazda MX-5 variants are
powered by a 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G engine generating 181 hp and 205 N-m of maximum torque. Through innovations in the engine, chassis, suspension, and body design in Skyactiv Technology, this roadster remains true to its original concept as a lightweight, open-top sports car that delivers a pure driving experience. Like all Mazda vehicles sold in the country, the Mazda MX-5 comes with a five-year Free Service Plan. It covers all periodic maintenance expenses at either six-month or 10,000km intervals, for up to five years or 100,000km, whichever comes first. It gives Mazda owners security and peace of mind as they begin their Mazda premium ownership experience. Bermaz Auto Philippines, Inc., the exclusive distributor of Mazda vehicles and parts in the country, now has 19 Mazda 3S dealerships. These are Mazda Greenhills, Mazda Pasig, Mazda Quezon Avenue, Mazda Makati, Mazda Alabang, Mazda Cavite, Mazda Sta. Rosa, Mazda Pulilan, Mazda Pampanga, Mazda Dagupan, Mazda Cabanatuan, Mazda Tarlac, Mazda Negros, Mazda Cebu, Mazda Iloilo, Mazda Cagayan De Oro, Mazda Davao, Mazda Butuan and Mazda General Santos.
IT’S THE SEASON OF GIVING WITH LEXUS
T
HE holiday season is the perfect time to treat yourself and your loved ones to your heart’s desires. And if you’ve always wanted that Lexus in your garage, Christmas is the time to finally make that dream come true. In the spirit of Christmas, Lexus has crafted these flexible payment schemes to make owning a Lexus so much easier. As an added bonus for the holiday season, select models will also come with free 2-year periodic maintenance service (Metro Manila only) and free Lexus health checks for cars sold through the Lexus Manila dealership and service-enrolled vehicles. The participating models with a 30 percent downpayment, 36-month term, and 0 percent interest are below: T he Lexus R X 350 (SRP P4,378,000) boasts of a 3.5-liter V6 direct-injection engine that offers excellent fuel economy but with pulse-pounding performance when you need it. T he Lexus N X 300 (SRP P3,208,000) compact luxur y crossover is a model that you will surely enjoy during extended drives. Power comes from a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder direct-injection engine which delivers 235hp and 350 N-m of torque to all four wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. The Lexus NX 300h (SRP P3,678,000) is another enticing hybrid model from the super-efficient fleet of eco-friendly Lexus variants. The Hybrid System Indicator displays real-time information about the hybrid system’s output and regeneration, encouraging you to adopt an eco-friendly drive. The Lexus NX 300 F Sport (SRP P3,708,000) is a sportier take on the NX and has a number of key features that elevate it from other SUVs in its segment. The renowned “F Sport” badge brings more to the table and is a treat for driving enthusiasts who appreciate the open road. The participating models with a 30 percent downpayment, 24-month term and 0 percent interest are below:
T he L ex us E S 350 (SR P P4,478,000) midsize sedan is a work of automotive art. Under its hood is a 300hp 3.5-liter V6 engine mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. It is worth noting that the ES is also Lexus’s most popular sedan model. The Lexus R X 350L (SRP P4,858,000) was engineered to cater to ever-growing families. The addition of third-row seating is a luxury in itself—a practical feature that you never knew was essential until you needed the added space for passengers and cargo. T he Lexus U X 200 (SRP P2,538,000) is the ideal introduction to the world of Lexus if you have never experienced the brand before. If you are a demanding driver and your taste in vehicles has elevated, then it is time to slip behind the wheel of the UX. The Lexus UX 200 F Sport (SRP P3,108,000) will bring out the driving enthusiast in you. Because of its dimensions, it is an ideal crossover for the city. You will be surprised by its impressive maneuverability. The Lexus LS 450h
(P9,458,000) adopts a Multi-Stage Hybrid System, which was first introduced in the LC 500h. This system provides perceived acceleration that matches the actual acceleration as soon as the gas pedal is pressed. It also provides rhythmic shifting, enabling the driver to enjoy a new kind of driving performance which is unlike what is expected from traditional hybrid drivetrains. The Lexus ES 350 (P4,478,000) offers spaciousness and refinement with a stunning coupe-like silhouette. It boasts of fluid lines and a human-centered cabin, where every detail is carefully considered for optimal comfort, and innovative technology meets your every need on the road. The Lexus GX 460 (5,968,000) is fitted with luxury features that you won’t find in traditional SUVs. Under the hood of the GX is a powerful 4.6-liter V8 that delivers power to all four wheels via a six-speed sequential shift transmission. To learn more about this promotion visit the Lexus web site at https://www.lexus.com.ph/en/promotions.html.